


Unwavering Support

by LadyKeren



Category: Michael Jackson (Musician)
Genre: Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-04
Updated: 2015-07-30
Packaged: 2018-01-03 11:15:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 76,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1069810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKeren/pseuds/LadyKeren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young woman leaves NY to start a new life in California. She crosses paths with Michael and a friendship begins. This fic begins six weeks before June 25, 2009. Michael does not die or go into respiratory/cardiac arrest in this story...something will happen but everything will turn out all right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Notes: This is the first celebrity fanfic I have ever done, the first fanfiction on a real person, for that matter. It is based on the fallen pop star, Michael Joseph Jackson, who recorded for Sony Records. I am not making any money off of him and his family members/friends/real life people featured in this fic so don’t bother trying to sue me. I am simply doing this for love. The OC Alyssa Colebrook is based on me. She and the fictional characters Shannon, Abigail, Alison, Shelley, Anastasia “Stacey” Evans and her dad belong to me and if you steal them you will be in serious trouble. This fic begins six weeks before June 25, 2009. Michael does not die or go into respiratory/cardiac arrest in this story...something will happen but everything will turn out all right. WARNING: Haters, STAY AWAY. All this rambling aside, I hope you enjoy my little MJ ficcie. Rated a mild T for rather serious injury, the occasional “hell” and “crap”. Besides Michael I also dedicate this fic to Paris and her brothers as I know they would have wanted this story to be true. Michael, I love you deary. I hope your soul has found eternal rest.

It was a very warm late Monday morning in Long Island, New York. A young woman by the name of Alyssa was doing last minute double-checking in her mostly vacant medium-sized apartment. She was making sure that none of her belongings would be left behind. She had put the place on rent, as she would be moving away. One of the best businessmen in Los, Angeles, California had stumbled across her website that showed off her skills in graphics and design, and offered to help her get started with her own graphic designing business. He was great at giving advice when it came to running businesses. The 23 year old was glad to take it because for one thing, it was her ideal job and another, she did not care for New York enough to live there long term. Not to mention since she graduated from college a year ago, she had been working as a waitress at a restaurant until she could find better work. 

Being a waitress was much too stressful for the young lady. Although hypertension ran in her family, by some miracle, her pressure had always been pretty low. There was no way she would do anything to jeopardize her health, especially not by ill-mannered guests at the restaurant who always harried the servers. And as for New York itself, though she had to admit it was better than where she lived for 15 years of her life, it still wasn't really her cup of tea. She often suffered from the cold and flu because of the contaminated air, and it was pretty dangerous. That led to her being afraid to drive or even go anywhere at night, as afraid as she was to learn to drive at first. She was proud of herself for sucking it up and learning.

 

Alyssa went into her vacant bedroom, got her suitcase, dufflebag, laptop case and purse. She made sure her ticket she purchased for the pop crooner Michael Jackson This Is It concerts were still in the special safe location she had put it in—a folder where she kept invitations for events. Sure enough, it was there. If she had lost it, she would have cried, and not just because she spent a lot of money on it, either. It was because she was looking forward to Michael Jackson's concert which was only two months away. And the seat she bought the ticket was not just any seat...it was a front row seat. Perhaps he would invite her to come on stage with him like he usually did when performing the song “You Are Not Alone” or any other slow ballad. She didn't know if fans had requested to hear that song or not, but she hoped it was one of the requested songs. It was one of her favorites. It didn't matter if she would be the lucky girl he invited on stage or not—she just wanted to meet him. From what she saw while watching the candid interviews of him, he was a real sweetie. ‘Who knows? Maybe I’ll bump into him somewhere. After all, it’s Los Angeles.’

She tiredly scratched her head, which was sort of hard since she had a hair piece sewn in. She looked at her watch. She would be leaving in another hour. The drive to LA would take several hours, and she wanted to get an early start so that when she got there, she would have time to unwind and unpack without it being too late. Her best friend and neighbor, Shannon was supposed to be coming over, but she had not arrived yet. The girl was always late. Alyssa really didn't want to leave without saying goodbye, but if Shannon didn't show up in 15 minutes, she would--

 

Just then, the doorbell rang. Alyssa went to see who it was. A girl with blunt cut jet black hair was standing on the doorstep, holding something wrapped in exquisite looking wrapping paper. Alyssa gave a sigh of relief. Shannon had finally arrived. 'It's about time,' she thought as she opened the door for her friend. “Hey there! You've finally showed up!”

Shannon looked a bit sheepish. “Sorry about that. Had a little trouble with the two monsters this morning.”

Alyssa hid a chuckle and nodded knowingly. The “monsters” were her best friend's 3 year old twins. She met them millions of times and saw how hyper energetic and unruly they could be. Well, that excuse was understandable. At least she wasn't late because she had overslept, which was almost always happening.  
“I got ya. Well, come on in.”

The black haired girl entered the apartment, and looked around. It was so clean. That made her neighbor's leaving seem so real to her. She had been living in New York for the past 5 years, and now she would be moving. Though she would miss her very much, she understood why she was leaving, and she wanted what was best for her. She was considering moving herself, one day, but where she would go was still up in the air.

The aspiring graphic designer looked into her best friend's green eyes, and saw that they looked wistful, and were glistening. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?”

Shannon looked a bit surprised. “Oh no. It's just hard to believe this is it, that you're really leaving...the time has come so quickly.”

Alyssa nodded. “I know what you mean.” When there was a going away party for her 2 days ago (which was the most fabulous party she ever went to), she began to realize how real it felt. A part of her wondered if she was a fool to just abandon most everything, but most of her felt excited about the move.

“Oh, Lissie, I'm going to miss you so much.”

Uh oh. For Alyssa, this was getting pretty emotional, and she was prone to crying during times like that. Just as she thought, a small lump was in her throat and she swallowed. She was not going to cry there. “I know. I'll miss you, too. But you have my e-mail and snail mail address. And there are always visits and phone calls. You could drive down to see me if you’d like.”

The older girl nodded. Though it was not the same, when her dearest friend said so it didn't sound so different. “You're right.” She decided she just might drive to California to see Alyssa one weekend, if time would allow it. She wasn’t sure if she could go two months without seeing her. 

“And don't forget, I'll see you when it is time for MJ's concert,” the young woman added.

“You don't have to remind me about that. I have my calendar marked,” Shannon retorted cheerfully.

That didn't surprise Alyssa at all, for Shannon was an even bigger fan of the King of Pop than she was...she practically had a crush on him. She hoped she wouldn't embarrass her by hogging him, which she would try to do even if Michael was surrounded by a bodyguard or two.

“Well, that's good to know,” she said.

“Before I forget, here is your goodbye present.” The model-thin girl held out the package she was holding.

Alyssa was tempted to say something like, “Oh no, you shouldn't have” because she was surprised by another gift, but decided that it wouldn't be very grateful or called for. She took the gift from her very good friend and proceeded to tear open the wrapping paper. Shannon watched with a smile on her face.

The younger friend made a little face at the smile, wondering what it was about. She shrugged, tore the rest of the wrapping paper off and looked down at the gift. She couldn't believe it! It was the book Moonwalk by Michael Jackson. She was searching for the book for a few weeks, but it was out of print. Now here it was, in her hands. She gave her best friend a big hug. “Thank you so much! Where did you get this?”

“From Amazon,” the charcoal haired young woman told her.

“Oh. Ok.” Alyssa wasn't surprised. Amazon had most of the old stuff. She slipped it into her bag. She then looked at her watch. It was about time to be loading up the car.

“Well, I guess it's time that I leave so you can get going,” said the 25 year old. Her voice was so wavery. She really didn't want to say goodbye, but she knew she had to.

Alyssa could tell her best friend wasn't happy about having to leave. But what could she do, except convince her that she would stay in touch? Of course, she knew that rubbing it in would make her feel worse, so she said, “Actually, I would like you to help me pack the car.”

“Will do!” Shannon was glad to do so, as it meant they would not have to say their final goodbyes just yet. She took the suitcase while Alyssa carried the purse, duffle bag and laptop case. The laptop case and suitcase were placed in the backseat of the blue 2000 Mercedes-Benz. That done, Alyssa locked the apartment door, left the apartment key on the doorstep, and she and her best friend looked at each other.

“Well this is it,” Shannon said, smiling sadly.

Alyssa was welling up. She didn't want to speak; she feared that if she did, she would start crying. She simply nodded, and wrapped her arms around her best friend. Shannon did the same. They hugged for several minutes. Alyssa was finally able to speak.

“Goodbye, my friend. Take care of yourself.”

“Will do. Stay in touch. And call me when you get there, so I’ll know you arrived safely.”

“Not to worry. I will.”

The two ended the embrace, and Alyssa got in her car. She started the engine, and pulled into the street. Shannon stood on the doorstep, and watched her friend drive away. She blew a kiss, and went back inside her house. She prayed that God would be with her as she embarked on the journey, for safe arrival.

________________________________________

At a rented mansion in the Holmby Hills area in Los Angeles, Michael was in his library, reading a novel. It was his day off from rehearsing for the upcoming comeback series of concerts. He had just gotten the results from his physical, the one that would determine if he was healthy enough to do the concerts. The results of the physical were good. He knew it was because of God's grace and mercy they were favorable, and he was very thankful for that. After all, the 50 year old pop icon had been struggling with health issues for at least 25 years. And the 2005 trial put quite a damper on his health. He was barely able to eat or sleep, and stress related ailments were pretty frequent, as well as chronic pain. Those injuries he sustained between the arrest and the court case still hurt him at times...so much so that painkillers would be calling him, though he really didn't want to use them.

 

The trial also affected his emotional state. His ability to trust had weakened a bit, as the people whom he thought were his friends had stabbed him in the back. Though he still loved children, they were no longer his inspiration and hope, with the exception of his own and the children of his siblings. He still did the orphanages, but whenever he did hospital visits, he didn't visit children only. Though kids had a special place in his heart, he loved people of all ages. As much as a nightmare the allegations were, there was one good thing about them—they motivated him to start showing he loved all people, young or old. He had also been forced to be selective about who he allowed himself to get close to, which he realized was for the best. Still, when he thought about how certain people were out to ruin him, he could just cry, which is what he would do if he were a weaker person at his age. Michael was just thankful for the people who were nothing but loving and supportive. And the rumors about him seemed to have decreased considerably, which was good. There were none when he had moved to Bahrain to recover from those events and try to pick up the pieces, and very little when he was convinced to move back to the United States. But a couple of the obnoxious stories seemed to have resurfaced soon afterwards, that he put off the concerts because of skin cancer, and it wasn't actually him who made the announcement of the concerts, but they were mostly ignored. The entertainer just hoped he did the right thing in deciding to return to the US, and he hoped that the people who made up the rubbish would wise up someday, before it was too late. True, he learned long ago to laugh at them, but still. It was so sad that people would rather believe rumors than open their eyes to the truth. What fools.

Eleven year old Paris Katherine, Michael's middle child, entered the library a little out of breath. She had just come from outside playing catch with her two brothers, Blanket and Prince, under the supervision of one of the security guards. She had gotten a little bit tired of playing, so she decided to see what her beloved father was doing. He was perched on a chair, reading something. Whatever the book was, he looked to be engrossed in it. He didn't seem to have notice that she was there, although she was sure he heard her footsteps.

“Daddy?” the brown haired little girl spoke up in a small voice.

The veteran singer looked up from the book he was reading, and saw his daughter standing a couple of feet in front of him. He was glad to see her, which was nothing new. He was always glad to see his kids. They were his pride and joy. It was a bit unusual to see just her, though. What was going on? He hoped the security guard hadn't decided to leave them unattended. If something happened to them, he would have to fire him. Or severely scold him, whichever came first.

“Are Blanket and Prince still outside?” Michael asked his daughter.

“Yes, Daddy. Don't worry, they are not by themselves.”

So the security guard was still supervising them. Good. And he could keep unwelcome visitors away while he was at it, too.

“I just wanted to spend time with you, if you're not too busy,” Paris continued.

The pop king was never too busy to spend time with his kids. And he loved being with them. He motioned for the little girl to sit in his lap. She carefully walked over to him and did so. She was sort of dreading the day when she would be too big to be doing that. As it stood now, she was average size for an 11 year old.

“I love you very much, Daddy,” Paris told her dad.

“I love you more.” That was Michael's usual reply when any of his kids said “I love you” to him. It was like a ritual. Besides his Heavenly Savior, his kids were some of the aspects that kept him going in life. He felt so blessed, in spite of the obstacles he had to deal with.

________________________________________

About 4 hours or so later, Alyssa arrived at her apartment in California. She got there with very little problems which could have happened, such as encounters with reckless drivers. She did a little bit of unpacking, but was too tired to do much. She decided to use the remainder of the day to relax. After all, work would be the very next day. It was so convenient that Mr. Evans gave her this day off so she could prepare. And she would be working right at home—at least that's where her clients would be able to reach her whenever they needed her to make brochures, web page designs, etcetera for them. There was an office set up in the apartment. She would explore the place a bit later to see how nice it was. The young woman decided to check on her best friend to see how she was doing. Though Shannon was brave in saying goodbye and all, she was sure that her leaving was hard. She picked up the cell-phone and dialed Shannon's number. She picked up before the first ring was over. “Hello? Shannon? This is Lissie. Just calling to let you know that I arrived safe and sound and to see how you are dealing. I want you to know that I am always thinking of you.”

The conversation was starting to get rather sappy. Alyssa was thinking 'oh great, this will become a cry fest soon.' She was glad when her best friend announced that she had to hang up, as her two kids were getting impatient for her to fix them something to eat.

“Okay. I'll talk to you again soon. You take it easy,” was her way of saying goodbye. She hung up. She hoped Shannon would be able to keep dealing with this change and the bond between them would still be strong, despite the distance.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Lissie is short for Alyssa.

The following day, Alyssa was in her small office, waiting for her first call from a client. After her conversation with her best friend the previous day, she had decided to stop being lazy and make fliers for advertising her business. After all, if she hoped to work soon, she would need to do that. The office was the one place she liked the best so far...it was very tidy and felt very secure. She had a very easy time being organized. As for the rest of the apartment, it was kind of well, creepy...and sort of nasty, too. She saw chewed gum on the night post. It was as if the person who previously lived in the apartment didn't clean up before moving out. She also knew it was possible that the person was a major slob. But that wasn’t the worst of it.

Later that evening, Lissie had to kill a spider. It took every ounce of courage for her to do that. She was starting to get the feeling that the house was infested. She made a mental note to contact her landlord as soon as possible, or at least get some type of alarm to repel the pesky creatures. She considered critters to be nasty little buggers. And the house was so dusty...the young woman couldn't believe it. She had just moved from her old home to get away from pollutants and here there were more contaminants in an area that was usually very environmentally conscious. Not part of her contract. ‘As soon as I am done with work for today, I’m going to clean up that mess. Constantly battling the flu and cold is becoming tiresome.’ 

Alyssa hoped this business would grow bigger. It would be nice if other people ran it with her. Alyssa tapped her foot in boredom. She decided to use her laptop while she waited for the phone to ring, which she would have done if she had known it would have taken that long for a customer to call. At the very moment she was about to turn on the laptop, the telephone rang. It was so unexpected that the young lady nearly fell out of her chair. She recovered, though, and snatched up the receiver.

“Hello, Graphics and Animations Incorporated, how can I help you?” Alyssa said in her most professional voice.

 

“Hey there, is this Alyssa?” asked an unfamiliar perky lady's voice.

Alyssa was so ecstatic about the possibility of this caller being her first client that she hugged herself...though this girl obviously did not know how happy she was. She snapped out of it.

“Yes, this is me. What can I do for you?”

“Well, first things first, I should introduce myself. Pardon my bad manners. My name is Anastasia Evans. You may call me Ana, Stacey or Stace, whichever one works for you. The one who gave you the idea for this business, I am his daughter.”

Oh. So that was who the lady was. ‘Gee, I never knew Mr. Evans had a daughter. He should have told me earlier. Now I am going to have to reprint the fliers. ’ Whoever this girl was, Alyssa just wanted her to stop beating around the bush and get to the point.

“Glad to hear from you. So, what's up?” said the business-woman to be. She hoped she wasn't showing her impatience. She didn't want this new person to think she was unfriendly or anything.

“Well, Dad said to call you to let you know that I will be your business partner,” said Anastasia.

Though it was a little disappointing that this call was not about her first job, at the same time a call about another person helping her was great. Though her advisor promised that she wouldn't have to run it alone, she was afraid that she would. And it would give her a chance to make new friends in California. And this girl seemed like such a nice person. She would love to get her know her better.

“I will be there momentarily,” the voice on the other end continued.

“All right. See you then.” Alyssa hung up. She waited for this person to show up. She was looking forward to meeting her. She wondered how far the girl lived from the apartment. She didn't want to wait long. She was not exactly the most patient person in the world. She thought about doing a quick e-mail check while she waited, but it would not make sense, as she was not going to be waiting for long. Sure enough, a car pulled in the driveway, and shortly after, the sounds of high heels clacking was heard. Alyssa heard a knock on the door. 'Well, that was rather quick.’ She went to see if it was really the person whom she spoke with just moments ago and not some psychopath. One could never be too careful. She saw a young woman with medium length platinum blonde hair worn straight, dressed in a business suit. She also wore glasses, and was holding a briefcase.

“Hello, who is it?” asked Alyssa's voice.

“It is I, Anastasia, whom you just spoke with,” the young woman replied.

Okay. Good. She was safe, as well as the one she was expecting. Alyssa opened the door. “Come on in,” she said.

Anastasia came in, and Alyssa guided her to the office. “Here's a seat for you,” she said, ushering the blonde to the chair facing hers.

Anastasia painstakingly sat in the seat, and looked around. It looked very nice for a home office. Still, it would be nice if the office were in an actual building, though it was nice that Alyssa was home, and could take care of certain tasks if necessary. But for now, this is what the both of them had the luxury for.

Both girls looked at each other, waiting for the other to speak. Alyssa was never a chatterbox when she met new people for the first time. But as she got older, she was getting better at making the first move. She sat, and watched Anastasia nervously play with her hair.

“So...while we wait for calls, we should take this opportunity to get to know each other better,” she said.

Anastasia nodded. “How right you are.” She thought of a question she could ask her new acquaintance and business partner. “So, you're new around these parts, aren't you?”

“Yes I am,” answered Alyssa. She silently scolded herself for saying only that. “From New York.”

The flaxen-haired woman raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I see. The Big Apple, huh? Love it very much. So, what made you decide to come here? Do you have a reason for being here besides this job?”

All of a sudden, Alyssa felt at ease around Anastasia. Usually she would be slightly annoyed when asked something personal by a stranger, but not in this case. This girl was so friendly and perky, and seemed so easy to talk to. That made her forget to be soft spoken. She decided to open up to her. It could be her ticket to becoming more outgoing. She told the blonde all her reasons for leaving: the atmosphere, how stressful the job was, and the fact that the city was so hectic she was afraid to go out much.

Anastasia nodded understandably. “I understand. It can be a madhouse at times,” she said thoughtfully.

Oh, did Alyssa like her a lot. She was so understanding. It felt like she had known her for a long time, even though they just met. She thought they were on the way to becoming friends—her first friend in California. That was great, since she'd been there for less than 24 hours.

The two young women were about to talk more when all of a sudden, the office telephone rang once again. Alyssa wondered who it could be this time. She answered the phone. “Hi, Graphics and Animations Incorporated, how can I help you today?”

Anastasia smiled at how her potential new friend was trying her best to make her youngish sounding voice sound grownup. It must have been hard for her to do. She hoped that no one teased her about her voice, because she knew how obnoxious people could be.

“Why yes. You do graphic work, am I correct?” said a dubious sounding woman. It was almost as if she were afraid that she was calling for the wrong thing.

But Alyssa didn't scoff or anything. She knew that one rule of business etiquette is to always treat the customers/client with respect, even when they test your patience. “Correct.”

“Well, I will be having a wedding party in a week, and I will need a number of invites. Would you be able to fit that in? If not, it is all right. I will call someone else.”

“Of course I can fit you in, ma'am. I just need the necessary details,” Alyssa said calmly. 

The lady stated her name, street address, the date of the wedding party, time, location, who was on the invited list and the exact number of invitations she would need. Alyssa furiously scribbled the details down on a pad, and let the lady know that she had help with the business, just in case she would be dissatisfied about someone else designing the invites. To her surprise, she was not.

“All right, that's fine,” said the lady.

“Great. My assistant and I will have the invites ready for you within a few days.”

“Good. I appreciate your cooperation.”

“Glad I can be of assistance. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.” Alyssa hung up.

“So we've got our first job?” Stacey asked.

Alyssa was grinning. “That we do.”

Anastasia grinned as well. “That's great. Looks like business is booming for us already.”

“Yeah,” Alyssa agreed a little bit hesitantly. The conversation made her think about something. Something she thought she'd better do before she and Anastasia got a stash of jobs.

“You know something? I think we'd better make more ads for this business, with both of our names. I don't want to take chances of any confusion our other clients might feel about there being two people instead of one.”

For a moment Anastasia looked a little confused, but realized that fliers must have been made before she called.

“How right you are. Let's get to work,” she said.

The two young women proceeded to make more fliers.

________________________________________

Michael was getting ready to leave for a concert rehearsal. He had enjoyed his day off the previous day, but now it was time to get back to work. After all, the concerts would be in 2 months, so it was practically crunch time. His nanny Grace would be keeping an eye on his 3 kids, though he promised to let them watch his rehearsals the next day. The evening sessions would be out of the question, since it would end way past their bedtimes, at least for the two of them.

“Mr. Jackson?” A youngish woman with cocoa-colored skin emerged from the kitchen with something wrapped in saran wrap and a bottle of his favorite organic juices, just what he asked her for. “Here's your lunch.” She handed him the stuff.

“Thank you.” He took it from her and placed it in a lunch bag.

“It is my pleasure. You know, I'm so happy you had asked me to return and work for you again. It is a real honor to be working for you. “

The pop singer's respect for the woman was mutual. He was glad to have her working for him, which was why he asked her to come back a week ago. He had no idea why she had to leave in the first place. She was a good friend and did such a good job providing him with the healthy food he needed to keep his strength up for the concerts and tours, as well as for keeping his weight down. He was a dancer, and dancers could not be overweight. It struck, surprised and impressed Kai though, that as partial as her boss was to healthy dishes, he was flexible on Saturdays. He could be a real junk food junkie then.

“And it is wonderful to have you on my staff again,” replied Michael, in his quiet, tenor voice. And he meant that with all of his heart.

Just then, the musician heard the front door open and close, and three kids' voices. It meant that his kids had returned from playing outside with their friends.

“Dad, we're back!” Prince called. He and his two siblings skipped into the living room. Michael was glad to see his children.

“Hey there. Did you all have fun?” he asked them.

“Oh yes!” Paris answered.

“And there's something my best friend told me to give you,” Blanket added.

The crooner cocked an eyebrow slightly. “Oh?” He wondered what it could be. He was sure it was something cute, something thoughtful. His kids' friends were real sweet. He enjoyed having them around whenever they came to the mansion.

“Yes.” The seven year old handed his father a green super soaker, knowing how much he loved them. He still loved them to this day, though he was way too old for them. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he was a child at heart, though.

“Oh, cool. Tell him I said thank you.” The King of Pop put the large water gun where he kept all the other “toys” he had. He looked at his watch and realized that it was really time for him to be leaving, if he didn't want to feel the wrath of his director. He rarely felt it and he was going to keep it that way. He reentered the kitchen area, picked up his lunch bag, and kissed his three children on their foreheads.

“I'm off to rehearsals now. Be good for Grace.” Not that he would have to worry about whether they would or not. They were all impeccably behaved children. But, it never hurt to remind them.

“Yes, Daddy,” said Paris obediently, although neither she nor her brothers cared for the woman.

Michael made his way to the front door, and left, shutting it behind him. His bodyguards were standing by a black stretch limousine, waiting for him. One of them was holding a flier. The guard handed the flier to the pop superstar. “This was apparently left by your mailbox by someone, Mr. Jackson.”

Michael took it, got in the limo, and perused the little poster. It was one regarding a graphic designing business, namely Graphics and Animations Incorporated. It sounded interesting to Michael. He always had a great appreciation for art, and he thought this business was definitely worthwhile enough to have its own office building. Not that a home office wasn't nice, but he thought this businesswoman, whoever she was, deserved better. He thought about donating some money towards an office for this building. Of course, he would have to meet the owner first, and get to know her. But he didn't mind, because he wanted to meet her, and ask her what inspired her work of art, and see her talent. Once he knew her well enough, he would surprise her with the office.

________________________________________

Late that afternoon, Alyssa and Anastasia closed the office for the rest of the day. After that first call to do the wedding party invites, they had gotten six more calls, so already they were very busy. They managed to tackle the jobs from 3 of the clients during the past 6 hours. Anastasia had left, but not before giving her new friend her street address and telephone number, so she could her if she needed anything at all.

Alyssa decided to go on a little shopping spree, as well as get a bite to eat. The things on her list were a pest repellent of some sort, cleaning products, and the last studio album by Michael Jackson, Invincible. She wanted to see if it really was as bad as several critics said. She knew that people could be very subjective, which was something that drove her crazy...just as much as the media, press and tabloids did.

Lissie had to admit, she was one of those poor fools who used to buy the wretched magazines, but only to look at the birth dates of the celebrities. As for the rumors, she thought they were retarded…especially the ones about Michael. Sure, she once believed he bleached his skin, too, but those were in days before she heard of vitiligo. And she liked him with pale skin. Heck, she'd always liked the man. The first time she heard the star admit he had it, she pretty much believed him, especially considering that she saw two sufferers appear on Maury that had it as severely as he did. As for the child molestation allegations, she wasn't sure what to make of those. She was desperately hoping they were not true, and when he was acquitted of the charges, she was very happy. At that point, she felt sorry for him, for he was such an emotionally traumatized person. But afterwards, he seemed to have disappeared from the scene, so she read up about him to see what he was up to and try to find out the truth behind those claims. She read that he did indeed have vitiligo, which he was diagnosed with it over 20 years ago, but she didn't know that he also had discoid lupus erythematosus, another autoimmune disorder. And as for the allegations, she learned that the pop icon had done nothing wrong, but that one of the parents of the accusers just disliked him and wanted to see him destroyed, as well as get their greedy hands on his money. It made her happy that the doubts she had were cleared up, but it also caused her to have a low opinion of the people who created the rumors. And she didn't even want to hear any crap about them anymore. If she heard about any more of that pedophile stuff and other rubbish, she would scream. Or call the person an idiot to his or her face. Whichever came first.

The sight of the tabloids disgusted the young budding business person so much that she and a couple of fellow friends who were MJ fans got together, ripped the magazines into shreds, and tossed them into the lit fireplace to burn. Alyssa had watched some of Michael's candid interviews shortly after, and she figured if she ever crossed paths with him and he knew she did that, he would be very proud of her. She wanted to meet him very much, so she could let him know that he had her love and support. So when she saw the news of him appearing in London and he made the announcement about the comeback concerts, she was ecstatic. No way was she going to shot down an opportunity to see him live.

Alyssa put on some comfortable shoes, and got her purse and keys. She quickly wrote a note to the landlord, stuck it on the door and headed out. She made sure to lock it so no one would break in. ‘Oh boy I hope he sees my note and does what I ask…or else things will get ugly.’


	3. Chapter 3

Seeing that Alyssa had some extra time on her hands, she decided to look around the CD store for a bit. She saw quite a bit of CDs from different musicians she was tempted to purchase, and she came extremely close to picking them up. ‘Oh my word…I had better hurry and get the CD I came for or else I’ll end up broke.’ That was something she could not afford as she still had dinner to get. 

Lissie went back to the Pop/R n B section where she started. ‘Have to look in J.’ She looked there and sure enough, there was an entire row of Michael Jackson CDs. ‘This record store seems to really carry his stuff…that’s good. ‘ A part of her was afraid the workers in the store would decide not to have his work in stock because they thought he was washed up or something. ‘Now the question is, do they have Invincible? I hope these people can think for themselves and not be influenced by critics.’ She looked through all of the CDs and saw ones like #1’s, Bad, Thriller, and HIStory, which she already owned. Fortunately, she spotted the Invincible album…not just one but two copies. She snatched it up and just as she was about to head to the cash register, she felt someone tapping her on the shoulder and a young girl’s voice greeting her with, “Hey there, how are you?” 

This was so sudden that Alyssa nearly jumped a mile. She looked up to see who was talking to her. A small girl with bright red hair, blue eyes, pale skin and a bunch of freckles was standing a couple of feet away from her. She looked no more than twelve or thirteen years old.

At first glance, Alyssa was feeling slightly annoyed, not only because the kid snuck up on her, but also because she did not want to be held up. ‘Where are her parents? Do they even know she’s here?’ Probably not, if she was there talking to a total stranger. Her first instinct was to tell her off for sneaking up on her. 

But when Alyssa took a better look at this girl, her feelings of annoyance disappeared. She noticed that her eyes looked like they were full of sadness for some reason. She really did seem sweet and friendly. And she also had braces on both of her legs. ‘Hmm, I wonder what’s wrong. Don’t tell me she broke both of them.’ “I'm good,” she managed to answer. “How are you?”

“I'm actually feeling all right today. This is one of my better days,” answered the young girl.

The young woman was a little shocked that this little girl practically gave away that something was indeed wrong. ‘I am not denying I am curious about the braces, but it is not my place to ask. And here she is, practically telling me she is in bad health.’ She didn’t know whether she should be grateful to this girl for satisfying her curiosity, or consider her foolish for confiding in someone she barely knew. 

It was almost as if the red haired girl had read Alyssa's mind. “You see, I have systemic lupus. Was diagnosed with it last year.”

“Oh. I'm sorry.” Alyssa didn't like the sound of that. She knew that lupus was a terrible and painful disease to have, based on what she heard from people who suffered from it, and what she researched. That was why when she learned that Michael Jackson suffered from lupus, she felt sorry for him. However, she was relieved that it was in remission, and would be that way as long as he was well-protected from sunlight. And she was also glad to know he had the less severe type, discoid lupus, even though there was information circulating that it might have evolved into SLE. 

“Yes. It has affected my heart, I am beginning to go blind in my right eye, I have artificial hips, and I have rheumatoid arthritis, hence why I have these leg braces on. Sometimes they hurt so much that I have to use a wheelchair,” the red-head confided to Alyssa.

The 23 year old winced at the thought of that. She couldn't imagine being in that much pain, ever.

The little girl remembered her manners, and decided to introduce herself. “By the way, my name is Abigail. Abigail Churchill. Call me Abby if you want.”

“All right. My name is Alyssa. People call me Lissie for short.”

“Alyssa...that's such a pretty name. Well, I hope we become great friends.”

“Me too.” And Alyssa really meant that. This Abigail person was such a sweet and warm person, and had a fragile sense about her, too. And the fact that she suffered from lupus made her feel pity. She would be sure to keep Abigail in her prayers.

Abigail eyed the CD that Alyssa was holding. She let out a muffled squeal. “Oh my gosh, I love Michael Jackson! He's so amazing! I take it you love him, too.”

Alyssa gave Abigail an amused look. She'd never guess that the girl had this side to her. “Admittedly, yes, I do. I have since the early 90's.I basically grew up with his music.” 

“Oh, that's so cool.” Abby gave a longing, wistful sigh. “Oh I wish I could go to his This Is It concert. I want to meet him so badly. But, I don't see how I will be able to, not with this crummy illness. It is so unpredictable. So if I just meet him before then, I will be happy.”

Lissie nodded. “I know what you mean. If I couldn't go to this concert, just seeing him somewhere as a regular person would make me happy, too.”

Abby smiled slightly. This lady understood how she felt. She was one of the nicest, most sensitive people she ever met. Not like the couple of jerks at school that teased her for her red hair or freckles. “By the way, will you be going to the concert?”

Alyssa tried not to smile too much, since it would be like she was rubbing it in. And she didn't want to do that. But it was hard not to feel excited about it. This was an opportunity of a life time. “Yes I am. I plan to, anyway,” was her answer.

“Oh wow, you're lucky!”

“I don't know about that. Well, I'm gonna go and pay for this CD, and then I'll get something to eat. Want to come with me?”

“Well, sure I would! Thanks for asking!” The teen girl had no homework, and she really wanted to get to know Alyssa better.

“Excellent.” The young lady headed over to the cash register. No one in front of her. She was somewhat happy about that. She placed the CD on the counter. Abigail stood on the side to wait.

The bored looking man behind the counter tiredly calculated the price, and told Alyssa what it was. Alyssa shot a quick glance at Abigail, as if to say, “what the hell is up with this dude, sleeping on the job,” and paid. He handed the bag to her. She nodded a thank you, and left the store. Abigail followed her, walking as quickly as her poorly ankles would enable her to, which was not very fast. Alyssa realized this, and slowed down to match Abby's pace.

'Oh, how nice of her,' the freckled face girl thought to herself when she noticed this.

“So, where would you like to go to?” Alyssa asked.

“The food court is fine...it's right nearby,” Abigail responded.

“Oh okay. Well, it's all right with me, too. “ Alyssa allowed Abigail to lead the way, since she would know of the whereabouts in the stores in the mall better.

________________________________________

Once the young ladies got what they wanted, they were seated at a table.

“Uh, Lissie?” Abigail asked a little bit hesitantly. She had a question she wanted to ask. She felt so guilty for even thinking of asking the question, but the curiosity was killing her.

Alyssa looked up. “Yes?”

“Um...I don't mean to be nosy, but....how old are you?” the red-head asked a little sheepishly.

“I'm twenty-three.”

Abigail was relieved Alyssa took it well, and felt like such a fool for being so embarrassed. But with older people, she never knew what to expect when she asked them that, except for a prudish response or a severe scolding. That was why she was often afraid to ask, and tried not to.

“Wow! You look so young, like you're only a little older than I am. I'm 15,” Abigail told her.

Oh. So she was just a couple years off of what Alyssa would have guessed. Not too bad.

“Well, you look a little young for your age, too,” said the older woman.

Abigail gave an embarrassed laugh. “I take that as a good thing.”

“Yeah it is.” At first Alyssa hated when people thought she was younger than she looked but someone assured her that it was a good thing, as if she lived to get old, she would still have a very youthful appearance.

“So,” the crimson haired teen began as Alyssa took a sip of iced tea. “Did you just move here?”

Alyssa nodded. “Just yesterday. I used to live in Long Island, New York.”

“Oh, cool.”

“Anyway we'd better eat this stuff...I am sure it is getting cold now.”

Abigail wrinkled her brow in thought and nodded. “I guess you're right.”

The two ate in silence, and sat there quietly for a bit. “Well,” said Alyssa, standing up, “I've got to go now. Got to get some cleaning products so I can try and clean up my apartment. It’s so dusty.”

Abby was a little disappointed, but she understood. She just hoped she would get to spend more time with her older new friend soon. She enjoyed spending time with her. “All right. See you. It was nice meeting you. I hope we meet again soon.”

“Likewise. Take care of yourself.”

“I'll try.”

Alyssa threw the garbage in the trash, grabbed the bag that had the CD in it, waved and left. Abigail watched her leave. She couldn't wait to tell her parents and other friends about the young woman she just met. They were always encouraging her to be sociable and outgoing, which she tried her best to do. She paged her parents to let them know she was ready.

 

________________________________________

Once at home, Alyssa started her cleaning. She put the repellent down. 'There. That should keep the nasty little buggers away.’ She really didn't want to see any more of them. Not that she would let them spoil her residence in California when she was enjoying her new home so far. She just didn't like having to spend her days disposing of pests. It was so time consuming and she needed the energy for her new job and other things.

That done, the young woman popped her new CD into her CD player and let it play. She listened to the CD as she dusted. The album was so good. She liked it very much. Quite a few songs got her attention, especially “Break of Dawn”, “Speechless”, “You Rock My World”, “Don't Walk Away”, “Cry”, “The Lost Children”, “Privacy” and “You Are My Life”. It was a good album. She would have to tell Michael how much she liked it whenever she was fortunate enough to cross paths with him. She was very certain that he would appreciate it. Wrinkling her nose, she took a tissue and removed the chewed gum off the nightstand and threw it away. ‘Gross, how nasty could people get?’ Shaking her head, she went in the bathroom and washed her hands. She proceeded to disinfect the area where the gum was. As she was cleaning the area, she felt a very sharp prick and a sharp, stinging pain shooting through her right ankle.

'What the hell? There wasn't anything on the floor a moment ago.’ She peered down to see what that prick was. When she looked down, she nearly had a heart attack. It was a small tan bark scorpion. She heard how painful and deadly their stings could be. How the hell did it get there, especially when she just put down the repellent? Acting quickly, she backed away and went to get the broom, mop, as well as a cup of water. Her ankle stung so much and she was beginning to feel slightly ill, which meant the poison was taking effect. Not good. This was beginning to scare her. With the broom, mop and cup in hand, she went to dispose of the creature, as quickly as her ankle allowed her. She poured the cup of water on the arthropod, drowning it. She swept it up, tossed it in the garbage, and mopped up the water.

Alyssa was not only startled by the whole thing, but angry, too. She took it that the landlord didn’t bother to carry out her request. Either that or he didn’t do it properly. ‘When I call him, I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind! But first things first, I need to get to a hospital.’ She opted to call her new friend and business partner, Anastasia, since driving would be out of the question, as she was in no condition to drive anywhere. She was really feeling sick, and was in pain. She was barely able to stand up. She looked down and saw that the affected area started to turn red. ‘Holy crap!’ She cautiously walked over to her bed and sat. Also, even if she were not in such discomfort, she didn't even know where the hospital was. She took out her cell phone and dialed Anastasia's number. Two rings, then a familiar perky voice spoke.

“Hello, this is Ana speaking.”

“Hey there, Ana? It's Alyssa.”

“Oh hey! What's up?”

“Listen, could you come and take me to the hospital right away? It's rather urgent.”

There was a long silence on the other line. “Okay, sure. But tell me, what happened?”

“One of those poisonous tan bark scorpions stung me on the ankle...it hurts so much…and I feel sick.”

Anastasia was worried when she heard that. This was serious. It definitely was not worth delaying, as people could die from that. “Oh dear. Well, I'll be there in about 10 minutes. So sit tight, okay?”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“No problem, that's what friends are for. See you soon.”

“Bye bye.” Alyssa hung up. She felt so horrible, she wasn't sure if she could sit tight like Anastasia told her to. Her good day had just turned sour. But she tried not to concentrate on that for too long, but to just focus on getting some stuff she might need, since she would most likely be staying at least overnight in the hospital. No way was she going to wear that ridiculous hospital gown. She got her nightgown and robe, toothbrush, underclothes, an outfit to change into the next day, as well as her favorite novel from her favorite series. She put them in a small overnight bag. Just as she was zipping the bag, there was a knock on the door.

'Perfect timing,' the scared young lady thought. She grabbed her bag and limped towards the front door. Even limping felt like such a burden. Anastasia was standing there, and she opened the door.

“Hurry...get in the car.” the blonde said hastily. “Lean on my shoulder. “

Alyssa did just that, and got in the car. Anastasia took her to the nearest hospital, which was Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. She did her best to stay awake for the ride, but it was proving to be difficult. She made it though, and limped into the hospital, although she could barely walk without pain. Not to mention that she was feeling so nauseous. She collapsed into one of the waiting chairs. Anastasia hated to admit it, but her friend looked terrible.

A doctor came into the waiting room. “Is anything the matter?”

“Been...stung...by... a... scorpion,” Alyssa managed to get out. She was clinging to consciousness by a thread.

The doctor yelled for assistants to bring a wheelchair right away. They did so, and she helped the ailing businessperson into the chair. She quickly wheeled her into the emergency room. Anastasia said a silent prayer for her new partner, and left the hospital. She would check in the next day to let Alyssa know of any calls she missed, as she knew there was no way she would be able to work the next day. ‘That apartment seems so dangerous…I think I’ll have her stay at my place if she wants.’

 

________________________________________

It was morning, and Alyssa was up, reading. She had just come out of the hospital's bathroom freshening up as best as she could with the stuff she brought along. She had such a rough night. The doctor had stabilized her enough for her to remain conscious, but she got a high fever. Worried, doctors transferred her from the emergency room to the medical ward, just in case anything else happened. They managed to bring it down, as well as gave her something for the nausea. But her ankle was still pretty swollen and red, and it was really bothering her. She had been given some medication, but it did little to give her relief. She was grateful, though, that it wasn't worse.

“Lissie?” asked a familiar small voice.

Alyssa looked up from her book, and saw the girl she met at the mall yesterday lying in the bed next to her. She had a machine attached to her chest. She was lying flat on her back. She looked pale and tired.

“Abigail?”

“Yes. We've met again...so good to see you again. It's just a shame we are both patients in the hospital.”

Alyssa agreed, it was a shame. She didn't like the idea of missing work. She would have to make Thursday up, and that was set to be her day off. Not that she minded, since she liked her job so far, but still.....

“So, what are you here for?” the red head inquired.

“Was stung by a scorpion. How about you?”

“Was having pain in my chest. I will have a pacemaker put in today just to be safe.”

“Well, you have my prayers. I hope it will be successful. “

Abigail admired how spiritual her new friend was. Actually, she could use prayers and not just for this operation. She could use them for her battle with lupus as a whole. “Thank you so much. I hope so, too.”

Just then, a doctor came in to tend to Abigail, so Alyssa went back to reading. She was almost done with the first chapter when all of a sudden, she heard some footsteps in the room and two men talking. She didn't pay much attention at first, but then one of the voices sounded so disturbingly familiar. It was that same tenor sounding voice with a slight American accent. Could it be....?

No. Her mind was playing tricks on her. She did not dare look up, as she feared that it was only wishful thinking. Not like she could really hear what was being said in order to prove that it was who it sounded like anyway. Well, at least it was helping her to keep her mind off of her present condition. Suddenly, she had a hard time concentrating on the novel. Her conscience wouldn't let her do so. She looked up, hoping she wouldn't regret this. Standing in the center of the room was..........Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson? But...but...but, what was he doing there? She knew that he liked visiting hospitals, but she didn't know he lived in LA now. It just couldn't be. But it was. He wore the same black suit, sunglasses, had the same longish black hair, and that trademark warm smile. Something like that was next to impossible to imitate. Next to him was presumably his bodyguard. ‘Just my good and bad luck lately...’

The young graphic designer knew she wanted to meet him, but she didn't expect to see him this soon. She nearly died. She wasn't sure what he would do if he came next to her, whether she would talk to him like a human being, freeze or die of a heart attack. But one thing was for certain, she would not go fangirly on him, as she knew he was a human just like she was. She couldn't go back to reading her book, as she was in too much shock to do so and she wouldn't be able to keep her mind on it. All she could do is hope that he didn't come her way.

Too late. He walked over to her bedside, and took off his sunglasses.

‘Oh, why did he have to go and do that? Now I’m gonna have to give him eye contact and I’m not sure if I can do that.’

'Suck it up, Alyssa. You're being ridiculous. It won't be that bad. You wanted to meet him, remember?' she silently scolded herself. ‘I just hope I don’t puke all over him…that would be totally embarrassing.’

“Hello there,” he greeted her in his warm voice.

“Hi Mr. Jackson,” she answered. Okay, that sounded a little lame, and she wished she didn't have to say it. But it was more respectful, right? After all, he was old enough to be her dad...27 years difference.

The superstar could tell this young lady was a little uncomfortable. He didn't want her to feel that way. “Please, call me Michael.”

That was swell with her. It meant that he really was a kid at heart and down to earth.

“All right, Michael,” she said, forcing a tiny smile.

“So, what's your name?” he asked her.

“Alyssa,” she answered, and then for good measure, she added, “You can call me Lissie if you want.”

Michael thought this girl was sweet. He could tell that she was considerably older than the children he helped in the past but he could still tell she was young. And he wondered what the problem was, why she was there.

“Well, Lissie...what happened?”

Lissie felt like melting. He just asked her why she was there. She was hoping he'd ask.

“A scorpion stung me on my right ankle,” she explained. She showed him the area. Michael didn't like the sight of that...it looked so painful. He knew all about that since he was bitten by a brown recluse several years ago.

“Oh look, it's swollen. Does it hurt you?”

'Aww, he is so nice,' thought Alyssa. She thought it was so sweet of him to ask about that. She tried not to look as horrible as she felt. “Yes, a whole lot.”

Michael didn't like seeing people in pain. It especially brought tears to his eyes when children were in pain, but it wasn't something he wished on anyone. He wished he could visit with this sweet person longer, but he had to visit other people before his rehearsal in about 2 hours.

“I hope you feel better.” He leaned over slightly, kissed her on the forehead and gave her a hug. She felt bad that she couldn't hug him standing up, but she doubted he would want her to put weight on her bad ankle for him, and it would be hard for her to shift weight on only her good one. And his lips felt soft and warm against her forehead. She nearly fainted. He took out a card and handed it to her.

“Contact me if you need anything,” he said.

“All right. Thanks.” She looked down and saw that it was at the Staples Center, and it had times for his in between breaks from rehearsals. She took it that he did not have a number at home. But no matter, at least she knew how to contact him. She watched as he went to talk to Abigail, who was next to her. It was the young girl's turn to be astonished.

This pleasant surprise really brightened Alyssa's day. Though she wished the crooner hadn't seen her in pain, a visit from him was still very nice. And maybe, just maybe, they would develop a beautiful young adult-middle aged adult friendship.


	4. Chapter 4

Abigail was in extremely salubrious spirits. Her primary wish had come true! Her long-time idol had come and talked to her. If she didn't have the heart monitor attached to her chest, she would've fallen onto the floor, unconscious. She so wasn't expecting to see him...she was even more surprised than Alyssa was. And it was such a nice visit. Michael was just as kind and caring as she imagined him to be. The one thing she related to most about him was the fact that he also had lupus, even though his was a mild form and he mostly had it under control, despite flare ups here and there. She had quite a few questions for him, though time didn't allow for her to ask all. This piece of information gave her a strength that she didn't know she had before. 

Michael’s heart went out to Abby so much that he decided to do a speech telling about his lupus story and how he learned to cope with it. Though he usually didn't particularly like giving speeches, or talking too much about his health challenges, he was inspired by this girl. So he would acknowledge that he had it for the first time, though he highly doubted that the media would cover it, knowing their greedy and manipulative nature. After all, they refused to mention that he donated money to the organization, so why would they mention if he became a spokesperson? And whenever a lupus organization contacted him about doing this, Abby would be one of the fortunate people to hear. The singer also had thoughts about inviting Alyssa, that is, if she would be interested in hearing his story. He hoped to see her again so he could ask her.

“Michael Jackson was such a doll, don't you think?” Abby asked Alyssa.

Alyssa nodded. “That he was.” By that point she had gotten over the slight shock from when he gave her that little peck on the forehead. It felt so nice though, as well as getting a hug from him. His visit made her forget about her pain for a bit. And she could not lose the card he gave her which contained his contact info. It was almost as valuable as the concert ticket. ‘I still can’t believe he gave me a number to contact him. As much as I do want to speak with him again, I don’t know if I would ever have the nerve to call him.’ 

“You know something?” Abby continued. “If I am not healthy enough to go to the This Is It concert, it is all right.”

Lissie's eyes widened a bit. She wasn't expecting to hear that. “Really?”

Abby nodded. “I got to met Michael in person, which is my real wish, and so I can always watch the concert if it is released on DVD.”

“True.” She wasn't sure if it ever would be, but thought it was possible.

“But if you do get to go, have fun and tell me all about it, all right?”

“Will do.”

“You know, I’m not so afraid of the operation anymore,” the red-head told Alyssa.

“Oh?”

“Yes. Michael has given me the strength I needed to go through with it. His support means so much. ”

Lissie had a feeling that there was more to it than Michael's presence, and it was the fact that he had his share of obstacles as well. But whatever the reason, she was glad that Abby was no longer afraid, though she would understand if she were in her shoes. After all, she heard a few stories of operations gone wrong or possibilities of one being allergic to something in anesthesia. But being in the land of “what if” would only cause someone to go crazy, so it was best to pray about it and hope for the best. And age 15 was not too young for Abby to learn that.

“Well, that's great.”

Just then a doctor came into the room and proceeded to wheel Abigail away, to the operating room. It was time for the procedure. Alyssa gave the red head a thumbs up sign. “We've both found new strength today. I know you can pull through this. ”

Abigail gave a thumbs up sign in return. “You bet.” With that, she was wheeled out of the room.

Alyssa decided to try to go back to reading the novel she brought along with her. She wasn't sure if she could concentrate, but it was worth a try. Inside the room was pretty much peaceful, and there was nothing else for her to do. Anastasia would not be coming for at least another 4 hours. And she wouldn't be disturbing the other patients around her. She just had to be careful not to laugh at any of the amusing scenes in the book. First things first, she secured Michael's contact number in a good hiding place of the overnight bag. She hoped she would remember it was there.

Being in such a quiet environment could sometimes be boring for Alyssa, but she liked peace and quiet most times. She proceeded to read some more. Surprising, she was able to concentrate much better than she thought she could. She was almost through with the book when all of a sudden, a doctor entered the room to check on Alyssa. Alyssa suppressed a sigh. An interruption. Usually interruptions were one of her few pet peeves. She didn't call her meeting with Michael an interruption as he helped to take her mind off her ailing right ankle. And she cared deeply for him, with all of her heart. She didn't much care about the doctor's presence, though, as she was almost finished anyway. And if she was there to give her more medication, she didn't mind. The older woman felt Lissie's forehead and was relieved that she felt normal.

“No fever. Are you still feeling pain?”

The young woman nodded. “Somewhat.”

“Hmm.” The doctor disappeared from the room for a few minutes, and came back with an injection. 

Alyssa kept her cool. Needles were not exactly her best friend. They made her a little nervous at times, but if the shot would soothe the pain, she was up for it. She held still as the doctor injected her.

“There. It should take effect in an hour, and when it does, there will be quite a difference.”

In that case, Alyssa thought it was worth the wait.

“You'll be discharged at four o'clock this afternoon,” said the doctor.

Alyssa was overjoyed to hear that. That meant she could go home with Anastasia when she came. Such great news. The hospital was pretty boring. She made a mental note to go see Abby before she left. She wanted to know if the operation was successful. She hoped the girl made it through. And she also wanted to exchange contact information with her so they could stay in touch. Abby was the most unique, sweetest, fragile person she'd ever met.

“However, you will need to take it easy for a little while,” the doctor continued.

The young businesswoman nodded. It wasn't like her job required a lot of walking anyways. The good thing about it was that she could do it sitting down, so that was an advantage in this situation. ‘I wonder if I should even spend the night at home. If the house is infested like I suspected, this could happen again.’ She had been so busy fuming over the situation that she had forgotten about the possibility that he didn’t come by the apartment at all. This meant she would have to call him and ask him to come by. If he doesn’t want to fix the problem, I’ll move out of there if she had to. There’s no way in hell I’m staying someplace like that.’ Frankly, she wished she could have moved as soon as she got home. However, there was one small problem. She didn’t know where to go.

 

________________________________________

Several hours later, Anastasia was getting ready to close office. The telephone had been ringing off the hook that day. She had used up 3 pieces of notepad paper writing down all the jobs. 'Lissie is sure going to love this...our business has been booming and it's only 2 days old. At this rate, we will be able to have people work for us soon.' She had been thinking about Alyssa the whole day and wondering about the status of her condition. To put it bluntly, she looked terrible the night before. It was difficult to see her like that. She hoped that her partner and friend was feeling better. She couldn't run the business without her. Speaking of which, she decided to divide the amount of jobs amongst her and Lissie so they could have an equal amount. She also reminded herself to get her own key cut for the office and house. Though she thought it was nice of Alyssa to leave her key for her to use, she didn't want to become dependent on it.

Ana left and drove to the hospital. She put on a little bit of speed, as she was anxious to see how Alyssa was doing. A part of her was worried that Alyssa had not made it. She couldn't handle her dying when she had just met her, especially not because of a mishap. She couldn't get to the hospital quickly enough.

Meanwhile, Alyssa was in the hospital room, gathering her stuff together. She was feeling a bit famished, as the food given to her hours earlier was decent, but not satisfying. She could use some vegan food that was really good...like some tofu. She forced herself to stop fantasizing about having the stuff or else she would get hungry for it. While she waited, she read the rest of the novel she had brought along to read. Just as she was packing it, Anastasia entered the room with an amused look on her face.

“Well, well, it is good that I found you,” was her greeting.

Alyssa was confused. “What do you mean?” Then the realization hit her. If this was regarding the fact that she was in a different room than she was the night before, then Anastasia would not have known she was moved to a different ward.

“Well, I didn't see you in the emergency room, so I had to ask where you were, and a doctor told me you were here,” the blonde explained. “So what happened last night, why you were moved here?”

“Well, I got a high fever, and the doctors were afraid that I would develop some complications, so they transferred me here, just in case.”

Anastasia wrinkled her brow a bit. “I see. So, how are you feeling now?”

“Better.”

“That's good to hear,” said Anastasia, smiling. “I was worried about you.”

Alyssa raised her eyebrows a bit. “You were?”

“Yes. You were in pretty bad shape last night.”

Alyssa gave a bitter laugh. “I know. Don't remind me.” It was an experience she never wanted to repeat. “In fact, I can leave now.”

Anastasia was happy to hear that. “That's great news! I imagine you're ready to get out of here.”

“You bet I am. It was pretty boring, except for one person who brightened my day, and I did have some company for awhile.”

It was Anastasia's turn to raise her eyebrow. She was glad that her friend did not have such a terrible time after all. That was good. But she wondered who this person was. “Oh? Care to enlighten me on who it was?”

Alyssa had a slight teasing look on her face. “It's a long story. Will tell you over dinner.” She had so much to tell her and she was just dying to. She just wanted to do it when they were both alone.

“All right. That sounds good. I want to hear every detail. Now, what do you say we get out of here?”

“You bet. But first, there's someone I'd like to see before we go.”

“Who is that?”

“A friend I made at the mall yesterday. Her name is Abigail, otherwise known as Abby. She had surgery and I want to see if she made it through.”

The blonde young woman looked a bit concerned. “I see. So, what's wrong with her?”

“She has systemic lupus and it has given her a bad heart. So she had a pacemaker put in.”

Anastasia winced slightly. She thought lupus sounded so painful, and it wasn't something she wished on even her greatest enemy. And she admired those who had the strength to deal with it.

“She's really nice, too,” Alyssa went on.

“In that case, I want to meet her. Let's go.” Anastasia liked meeting new people, and she wanted to meet this girl so she could offer sympathy to her. Alyssa picked up her overnight bag, and she and Ana walked to the recovery room together. They entered, and saw Abigail lying in the hospital bed, looking frail, tired, and even more paler than she originally looked. 

The teenager made an effort to give a weak smile, in spite of her pain. “Hey there, Lissie.” She eyed the blonde standing next to her new friend. She wanted so badly to greet her, too, but she didn't know her name. But Alyssa answered that question for her, so she didn't have to wonder for long.

“Hey, Abby, this is my business partner and friend, Anastasia.”

“Oh,” said Abigail. She looked a little sheepish. “Hi there, Anastasia. Nice to meet you.”

Anastasia smiled. “Likewise. I am so sorry you have to suffer with lupus. How are you feeling?”

Abigail's impression? This girl seemed as friendly as Alyssa was, and she seemed genuinely concerned about her health, and she had just met her. She figured Alyssa must have told her about it. Well, it was okay for her friends to know.

“Terrible,” she mumbled.

“Well, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you feel better soon.”

“I hope so, too. I am not sure when I will be released.”

“Well, I am leaving right now, and so I thought I'd check up on you before you go,” Alyssa told Abby.

The red haired girl felt just a little jealous that what Lissie had to deal with was minor, compared to her condition. But she thought it was nice of her to come and visit. She wasn't sure if they would ever see each other again, and she would miss her so much. “You're so lucky.”

“You'll be out sooner or later. I'll pray about it,” Alyssa reassured Abigail. “And I would love to stay in touch with you.”

Abby's face lit up. She was worried about whether they would be in touch or not.

Alyssa took out a pen and paper, and wrote down the numbers she could be reached at, as well as her e-mail address. “Here you go,” she said, handing it to the young girl.

“Thank you very much. Don't worry, I won't forget you.”

Oh great. Alyssa was beginning to get teary-eyed, but she blinked them back and drew in a deep breath.

“Neither will I. I am glad to have met you. Goodbye for now.”

“See you later, Lissie, I hope.”

Alyssa didn't want to be in that room for one more minute. She feared that she would really start crying. So she just gave one last wave to Abigail and whispered to Anastasia, “let's go.”

“Can do.” She and Alyssa left the room.

 

________________________________________

“So, tell me, who was this special person that you met at the hospital today?” Anastasia asked Alyssa, over veggie burgers and French fries take out.

“Well, Michael Jackson was apparently doing hospital visitation today, and he came and talked to me.” She took a sip of iced tea.

The blonde woman nearly choked on her Cola. “You’re kidding! Get out of here!”

Alyssa enjoyed the drama of the moment. “Nope. And he was really nice, too.”

“I'll bet he was,” said Anastasia,” you know, I am not exactly an overly huge fan of his music, but as a person, well, he seems like such a loving, genuine, caring person, definitely one of the nicest people in the music world. Too nice to have to endure the pain the media and the press put him through, that's for sure.”

That was something Alyssa agreed with wholeheartedly. “Amen!”

“Yeah. I would be glad to meet him myself,” Ana told Alyssa. “So, tell all. What happened?”

“Well,” began Alyssa, “he didn't stay very long, but he did ask me how I was feeling, and he gave me a number where I could contact him if I ever needed anything from him. Oh, and I also got a hug and kiss from him.”

“Wow, that was real sweet,” commented the blonde, in awe. “You are truly fortunate to meet a singer of his caliber.”

Alyssa nodded. “I know.”

“So, I take it that you're a fan of his?”

“That I am. Have been for years.”

“I see.”

“And I hope I get to hang out with him again.”

“Oh, I'm sure you will. He's a good guy.”

Alyssa drank some more iced tea. She hoped Anastasia was right. ‘I think I will call him after all.’


	5. Chapter 5

Three days later, Alyssa was all better and back on her feet again. Anastasia was very happy about that, as there were too many clients calling for her to deal with on her own. Not that she minded handling the calls. She just didn't like her friend being unwell. Alyssa wasn't looking forward to having to do work on Saturday, but she really needed to make up the hours she missed. She tried contacting her landlord several times, but his cellular phone would either be off or he would say that he's busy. It was beginning to aggravate her greatly. There was something fishy about his behavior. There was no way he could be busy all those times. She was wondering if he had his cell phone turned off on purpose or his being “busy” was just an excuse for not wanting to assist her. 

‘My Lord, what a terrible landlord he is. He should never have aspired to be one. I would hate to see how he has treated other tenants.’ The one good thing was since the young woman had been discharged, she didn't see any unwelcome animals. ‘However, taking chances are not an option. Something must be done.’ Her and creepy crawlies did not mix, especially since one landed her in the hospital. ‘I’m wondering if I have to get nasty to get him to come, though it probably wouldn’t make a difference.’

Alyssa knew the office wasn't exactly the place for her mind to wander, but it was pretty boring so far. They usually got a dozen calls on the usual work days, but that day, there were only three and it was afternoon. True, that should be expected since it was a Saturday, but it was still odd since people usually called after business hours, and she would have to tell Stacey about them. 

‘Man, I wonder if picking Saturday of all days to make up my work hours was such a good idea. I can’t believe I have wasted almost an entire day when I could have been doing other things.’ Lissie was glad she did her cleaning the previous day so she wouldn’t have to do it later. She proceeded to think about Michael and how nice he was to her in the hospital. ‘I wonder how his rehearsals are going. I think I’ll give him a call and let him know I am now home. I’m sure he would be happy to hear that. I could tell he was genuinely concerned.’ She thought about sneaking a call right now, since she had caught up on some of her work, and it wasn't like a flurry of calls were coming in. But she didn't want to do it in front of Anastasia, who was there to keep her company for a bit.

“Hey, Lissie, why do you look so pensive? What are you thinking about?”

Alyssa looked up, embarrassed. “Huh?”

The blonde gave her a funny look. “You looked like you were asleep for awhile, that's all. Are you that bored?”

Lissie nearly burst out laughing at Stacey’s facial expression. ‘If I really did fall asleep, she would never let me live it down.’ She sat up straighter. “Believe you me, I do feel like taking a nap….all this waiting is making me sleepy. But it’s just that the thing with the landlord is really bugging me...what am I going to do?”

Anastasia could tell her friend was indeed annoyed. She couldn't blame her. She herself hated when people treated her like a nuisance when it was their job to help...one of her big pet peeves.

“Oh, that. Well, I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were you. I am sure you will think of something.”

Alyssa appreciated the confidence, but she wasn't too sure. She hoped so, if she would be staying in the apartment. Oh well. She could always get nasty if she had to, though she hoped that she wouldn't have to resort to confrontation. She tried to avoid it whenever she could.

Anastasia looked at her watch. “Listen, I have to run some errands, so I will have to leave for now. But I'll be back. If any calls come in, let me know, all right?”

“You bet.”

Anastasia got her purse and left.

Alyssa figured out what to do. She remembered Michael only had one rehearsal that day and he had a 20 minute in between break, and according to the small card he gave her, it should be right now. This was her chance to call him, now that Stacey had left. She wasn't too worried about a potential client calling. On one hand, she had call waiting, and two, it wasn't like he could have a long conversation anyway. But she didn't care if the conversation was long or short, she just wanted to talk to him. Plus, she was afraid of running out of words to say. Lissie got the phone book where she had written the number in. ‘I hope I don’t make an idiot out of myself.’

________________________________________

 

Michael had been contacted by the Lupus LA founder Daniel Wallace the day before. It was regarding a special event that would be held at Mission Hills Inn—a banquet, to be exact, which was to be held in a little less than two weeks. This banquet was going to raise funds for hospitals that didn't have sufficient money to provide the best care for lupus patients. The gentleman had asked the pop singer about giving a speech about lupus. Like many people, he read that Michael suffered from lupus and that he donated to a couple of organizations, but was a spokesperson for any. Michael had said that he would be honored to do it. Though he considered his medical history to be private business, he wanted to let other lupus patients know that they were not alone. Also, he hoped to end the misconceptions as to why he wore the surgical masks in public. Seemed pointless where the tabloid writers and media were concerned, but he thought it was worth a try. There was even going to be a question and answer period just in case they wanted to ask anything. Abigail and Alyssa were definitely on his list of invited people. Speaking of which, he wondered how those two were doing. It had been 2 days since he met them in the hospital, and he was a little worried, especially about Abby. Of course, Alyssa had his concern, too, as the sting looked pretty painful. The star hoped nothing had happened to either of them. If any of them contacted him, he would be glad, as that was all he needed to do to reassure himself that they were alive and well. He went to take a Gatorade break. All that singing and dancing made him a little out of breath. He loved the sports drink for times like that, as well as water.

All of a sudden, the telephone in the office started ringing. One of his backup dancers, Judith Hill, answered the phone. “Hello, Staples Center, how may I help? Yes, he's here. Hold on one moment.”

“Mr. Jackson, there's a phone call for you!”

The superstar entered the office. ‘I wonder who that could be. I hope it’s not a prank call. He picked up the receiver. “Hello, this is Michael speaking.”

“Hiya, Michael, it is Alyssa, the girl you met at the hospital 3 days ago,” said a youngish female voice.

Michael was pleasantly surprised. Ever since that day he visited the hospital, his mind was on those young people, and now one of them was calling him. She didn't have to worry about him forgetting her.

“Hi, how are you?”

Oooh, did that warm voice make her want to melt. She loved it so much. She hoped she wouldn't die of immediate heart failure from just making this phone call. It was hard enough making her fingers dial the number. They were nearly paralyzed, but she fought through it. A part of her was afraid that he would have forgotten her. ‘I’m being ridiculous. He would never do that.’ 

“I'm much better. I actually left the hospital the same day you visited me. Left that afternoon.”

“Oh, that's wonderful.” He was so glad to hear that. Now if there was a way for him to know Abigail's status.

Making conversation was not exactly Lissie's forte, especially with someone she just met. She realized she’d better talk fast or else she would've wasted his time when he was probably doing something. It was in his nature to be unselfish...take time to do something when he didn't have to.

“So, how are you doing?”

“Oh, I'm doing fine. I'm at rehearsals at the moment. You've called at the perfect time.”

Alyssa was glad to hear that. It meant that it was indeed his break, and she had guessed right. She was worried that she would call him the wrong time and he would be kept from whatever he was preoccupied with. She didn't want to take advantage of his kindness.

“I figured you were. So, how are rehearsals going?”

“They keep me busy, but are going very well, thank you. I am looking forward to these concerts.”

“Oh, that's good to hear.” And it certainly was. Lissie knew for a fact that the pop star always went through a difficult time touring as he never got a break. Very little time to rest and no time to goof off. She certainly didn't blame him. She imagined that it was tough enough for him when younger but at his age now, all that stress could kill him.

“Hey, Mr. Jackson, this is no time for a gab fest! Your break is almost over!” a rather gruff male voice in the background yelled.

Michael glanced at his watch. His director was correct when he said break was almost over, but he still had time to tell his new little pal about the banquet and invite her.

Alyssa knew that the conversation would soon be over, but she didn't mind a bit. She was just glad that she got to talk to one of her favorite singers, and he actually took the time to talk to her.

“Sounds like I'd better let you go. Whoever was yelling sounds real impatient with you,” she said.

“It's only my stage director.” His voice then grew serious. “I have a question for you.”

This sounded interesting to Alyssa. What could Michael possibly want? “Yes?” she asked eagerly, waiting for him to go on. ‘Maybe he wants me to come over to his house or something. I would love to watch movies with him and his children.’

“The founder of Lupus LA contacted me the other day and asked me to present a speech about lupus at a banquet. Would you be interested in attending?”

Would she? Was he kidding? In a minute! This would give her an opportunity to know more about his lupus story, as well as hear him give a speech. Based on the speeches she heard him give at different award shows she watched on TV, she was sure he would do just great at this one, too.

“That I am. Thanks for asking.”

“If you see Abigail again, tell her she is invited as well.”

“Can do.” The young woman wasn't sure when this would be, though. She just hoped it would be before this function. ‘I could always make arrangements whenever I call her. I almost forgot she gave me her number.’

“I'd really better get going now. It was nice to hear from you.”

“Likewise. Thank you for taking time out of your very busy schedule to talk to me. I really appreciate it. “

“Thank you for calling. You take care of yourself. Goodbye and may God bless you. ”

“Same to you. Goodbye.” Alyssa hung up the phone, and thought, ‘hey, that wasn't so bad. Not bad at all.' In fact, it was nice. Very nice. ‘I can’t believe I was such a nervous wreck. Now I am sure I can do it again.’ All she had to do was relax and be normal and everything would go well. She couldn't wait until her business partner returned so she could tell her about this. And she imagined when Abigail heard the news about the invitation, she would be just as excited, if not more. Speaking of which, she wondered how Abigail was doing, or if she was still hospitalized or not.

At that moment, the telephone rang again. ‘This had better be a client.’ She picked up the phone. “Good afternoon, Graphics and Animations Incorporated. What can I do for you?”

“Hi, Graphics and Animations Incorporated, this is Abigail.”

Lissie nearly gave a frustrated sigh, but then remembered how much she wanted to hear from Abby, too. “Oh, hello. How are you feeling?”

“Much better. And I have good news,” the young girl said excitedly.

“That makes two of us! I will let you go first!”

”Okay, thanks! My news is that if I continue to do as well as I am doing, I will leave the hospital tomorrow. “

“That is so great!”

“So, tell me this great news. What is it, what is it?”

‘Wow, if she is this excited when I haven’t even told her the news yet, when I do tell her, she is gonna go insane.’ “Well, just a little while ago, I spoke with Michael Jackson a few minutes ago, and he invited me to a function where he is making a speech. He said that you are invited as well.”

“Oh, did he? I'll be there! I can't wait! I hear that he is a very dynamic speaker!”

“Oh, it wouldn't surprise me if he was.” This was because he was so talented.

“Rats! Someone needs to use the phone here. I will call you later, okay?”

“All righty. Bye.”

“Bye. “ With that, Alyssa hung up. She couldn't help thinking about how blessed she was. She had been there for almost a week, and she had made quite a few good friends. She sensed a great friendship with the King of Pop, and she couldn't wait to spend more time with him. Despite the small minor setbacks, she had to admit that she loved California. A great job, great friends...what was not to like? She wondered what the Churches of Christ congregations were like. She couldn't wait to find out the next day.

There was still the pest problem, but she thought it could be ignored for now. Until she found something to do about it.

She was thinking about closing office early, since it was nearly closing time anyway. ‘No point in having it open when it is obvious no one will call.’ She was disappointed about not having any job related calls to tell Stacey about whenever she returned. 'Oh boy,' the slightly frazzled woman thought, 'I hope she won't be too angry about this.' She didn't necessarily think that the blonde would be angry at her, but just that several hours of her day was wasted. Making up her mind, she closed up office for the day.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Credit goes to Helena, the webmistress of the blog Vindicating Michael for some of the information about lupus.

It was the end of rehearsals that day. Michael and his backup dancers/singers had chosen “They Don't Care About Us” to end with. There were usually two rehearsals on weekdays, which were the only workdays, but on that Friday there would only be one. That was because Michael was fortunate enough to skip the second rehearsal session. The day he would be giving a speech at the lupus fundraiser had finally arrived, and he was graciously given some time off. He felt prepared despite the fact that giving speeches were not in his comfort zone and preferred to only give them when he had to. However, the singer was glad to do a speech this time. Abigail inspired him to do this. He was so grateful to David Wallace for giving him the honor to finally set the record straight, after so many years of being rejected when he actually wanted to become a spokesperson for lupus those years he did charity work for lupus organizations. And from then he was tired of the rumors about the masks, the taped fingertips, the hat and the umbrella he often used in public or when in sunlight. He would feel much better knowing that he answered some unanswered questions.

Aside all this, he still chose dancing and singing over public speaking. Sure, there were times he felt like his director was trying to kill him when he had to spend so much time rehearsing, but at the end, the hard work paid off. He liked to perform, and he wanted his fans to see him at his best. And he wanted to do this for his kids so they could see him onstage like they always wanted to. He wanted his children and fans to know that he still had his touch, even though he was half a century years old. So if preparing for the concerts meant being a workaholic, so be it. That's what he thought when he was younger, anyway. The pop star had to admit though it would be nice if his rehearsal schedule was a little more flexible. Even though he was rather lucky so far, there was only so much his body could take. It would slow down sooner or later. 

The King of Pop and his backup singers and dancers stood still on stage, pretending to listen to applause from the audience. Though there was no crowd there, since too many people would make the performers nervous, it was still an important part of the rehearsal. This is so they knew when would be the appropriate time to leave the stage after the actual show performances. The performers stood there frozen for about half a minute, and then walked off.

Michael really had to get going. He had to be to the hotel somewhat early. His kids would be present at the event as well. They had asked if they could come, and he was glad to let them be some of his honored guests. He wanted them to meet the new “friends” he made, and besides they were old enough.

 

________________________________________

During the past thirteen days, Alyssa adjusted to California very well. Her business was extremely successful, and it kept her very busy at times. She had a good circle of friends, though it wasn't large. She was involved with a number of church activities. Still, there was the pest problem in the apartment, despite her best laid out defenses. The problem was too big to ignore. And lo, yet another scorpion had appeared about a week ago. However, that time she was lucky, and she saw it, so she was able to dispose of the 'thing' before it could sting her again. No way was she going to allow the same thing to happen twice. Once was more than enough. What was worse was that the land lord still didn't do a thing about it. She even got firm with him and threatened to sue him, but that didn't scare him. In fact, it caused him to avoid her once more. Her patience was beyond thin, and she was not going to be tolerating it anymore. She would take drastic measures if it was the last thing she did. But she would deal with that later, as she had more important and pleasant things to be worrying about.

She was looking forward to the banquet which would be starting at half past six that evening, a little over two hours away. She had to get her and Abigail's invites from Michael at the Staples Center. It was one of the only ways she could have gotten them, since she had more time to go to where he was than for her to give him the directions to come to her house. And unlike some people, she didn't want him to go out of his way for anything, although in the past he had proved that he would go the extra mile for someone.

The graphic designer was in a bit of a hurry since she didn't have that much time to be ready. Abigail would be coming over so they could go together, so she was making sure her room was tidy. She hoped that task would not make her sweaty again, since she just came out of the shower. ‘Good thing about this is the hotel is only ten minutes away, so I don’t have to be in too much of a hurry. But I still wanna leave early enough to beat the crowd.’ She knew how huge functions like these could be, especially when celebrities would be making guest appearances. And she thought it would be nice if she spoke with the pop singer a bit...wish him luck on the speech and whatnot. ‘I can only imagine how much people will be at this banquet. After all, it’s not just any celeb making an appearance…it’s Michael Jackson.’ 

Alyssa straightened up the room a bit, and then she proceeded to get dressed. The outfit she chose was one of her favorites—a sleeveless navy blue dress decorated with flowers which had a light blue jacket to cover it. It was just the perfect attire for a banquet...not too fancy and not too plain. She always went for the 'simple' look. ‘Oh I so hope I don’t spill food on my clothes. That would totally ruin my night. ‘ She didn't care to spend money on dry cleaning more often than she had to. For jewelry, she wore pearl clip-on earrings and a black sapphire finger ring. She'd never been much of a jewelry person, but she tried. She slipped on her shoes, and sprayed her hairpiece with oil sheen hairspray after combing it. With a touch of lip gloss, mascara and some perfume, the young woman was ready. She took one last look at herself in the mirror to make sure her makeup wasn’t smeared. ‘Hmm...not too bad, if I do say so myself.’

Lissie looked at her watch. Five fifteen. Pretty early. She thought six o'clock would be a good time to drive to Mission Hills Inn. She had thoughts about listening to the Invincible CD, but decided that it wasn't a good idea. Abigail would be arriving pronto, and she needed to hear when the red-head knocked. Instead, she got a book to read, grabbed her keys and purse, and went into the living room. She sat on her couch and began to read. She was about three quarters done with the book when she heard a knock on the door. She went to see who it was. There was a red haired girl standing on the doorsteps, and a red car driving away. She opened the door for Abby.

“Come on in.”

The 15 year old entered the apartment. Alyssa took a quick glance at her. She wore a 3 piece suit—a pristine white shirt, a black button up jacket and black pants. Her face was plain looking, except for a bit of lip gloss, and she wore hoop earrings and a chain. She looked very businesslike, and exactly her age. Her hair was down that day, and fell slightly past her shoulders.

“Hey there,” Alyssa greeted the red-head.

“Hey there. I like your outfit.”

“Same here. You ready to go?”

“You bet!”

“Good.” The young woman got her purse and keys, and left with Abby. Like Abby, she was looking forward to Michael Jackson's speech. She was sure it would be great, and she wanted to know his lupus story all the way through.

 

________________________________________

 

Once at the hotel, Alyssa and Abigail were searching for the sign regarding the banquet and speech. It had a good number of rooms. Not wanting to look foolish, Alyssa decided to ask one of the staff members for help finding the room where the banquet would be held. “Come, let's go. I'm gonna get help,” she told Abigail.

“Right. I don't want you and me to miss this.” Alyssa and Abigail were about to look for assistance from a hotel worker when all of a sudden, an older woman approached them.

“Is there anything I can help you with, girls?” she asked them.

“I think she works here. It seems we're in luck,” Lissie whispered to Abby. She turned to the woman. “Yes, please. There is a banquet that the pop singer Michael Jackson will be speaking at. Do you know where the dining room is?”

“Ah, yes. The King of Pop. You girls are fortunate to be attending a special event featuring someone with the status he has.” The two young ladies were becoming a little impatient. Not only did they not want to be late, but the woman was a little shallow. They didn't pay much attention to Michael's career, but thought of him as a regular person, and that was how they intended to treat him. “Well, go straight up ahead, and make a left. It is hard to miss.”

'Finally,' thought Alyssa. She thanked the woman, and headed for the dining room with Abigail. She checked her watch. Six fifteen. Not too bad. There was still time before the gala actually began. Not like she had much to tell Michael anyway. She and Abigail entered the room. Quite a number of people were there. Alyssa spotted Michael by the podium talking to a man with graying hair that was balding. He resembled Al Sharpton. There was also a projector on the stage, which Lissie assumed was for showing pictures and stuff. The room was roughly half filled with people. ‘Just as I thought. There are already a lot of people here and it’s not even six thirty yet.’ She wondered how many of these people were lupus sufferers.

“It's a good thing we came early, huh?” the young woman whispered to Abby.

“Sure is. But I hope we are shown to our seats soon.”

Alyssa agreed, knowing that Abby wouldn't be able to stand up for long periods of time. She also wanted to say hi to Michael, and she was sure Abby wanted to as well. But it would be rude to interrupt him while he was talking with someone. She was in luck. The singer and Al stopped talking.

“Hey Abigail, now is our chance. Let's go say hi. I am sure he'll show us our seats as well.”

“Okay. Sounds good.” She and Alyssa passed quite a few people, saying “excuse me” when necessary. They walked up to the pop crooner. He barely recognized them in their outfits, though their faces looked the same. But he liked it. “Hi, girls,” he greeted them. “How are you?”

“Hi Michael. I'm doing well, thank you. ”

“Hey there, Michael. I'm doing all right.” Abby still felt shy around him, Lissie, not so much. After all, she'd spoken to Michael a couple of times before, so she got over her shyness rather quickly.

The pop star hugged both girls. Felt so nice, especially for Alyssa. Was less awkward now that she was able to stand up to do so. He barely had to bend down, and come to think of it, she didn't feel all that petite in his five feet nine frame.

“It is so nice to see you both. Our table is this way.” Mystified, Alyssa and Abby followed Michael as he led them to where they would be sitting. They couldn't believe it. Alyssa shot a quick glance at Abby. Had he really reserved seats for them at his table? He had brought a couple of other people along. He didn't have to include them. His kindness never ceased to amaze them.

Seated at the table were three brunette children, two boys and a girl. They were accompanied by a cocoa-skinned youngish woman. Alyssa presumed the children were Michael's children, but she wondered who the lady was. The kids pretended to look at the floor; they didn't want to be seen as staring at the ladies. They toned their gazes down to glances. Abby thought the kids were adorable. She and Lissie didn't have to wonder for much longer. The pop icon introduced his two new young friends to the kids. They were pretty warm and friendly, but Blanket wasn't as talkative as the other kids.

“He's very shy,” Michael informed Abigail and Alyssa.

Alyssa nodded knowingly. “I see. “ She could be shy at times, too, so she understood perfectly, and could relate to him. She would give the little boy time to open up, she wouldn't force him.

Michael turned to the lady who was sitting next to the kids. “This is my chef, Kai Chase. Kai, these are my new friends, Alyssa and Abigail.”

“Nice to meet you girls,” said the lady, giving Lissie and Abby firm handshakes. They did the same.

Michael realized it was about time to making his way to the podium. “See you all later.”

“Good luck with your speech,” Alyssa told him. At that point, the red head's feet were killing her. She sat down. Her friend took a seat as well, next to Kai.

“Thank you so much.” The 50 year old entertainer made his way to the front, and sat in the chair, until it was time for him to be called up to do the speech.

A young woman was handing out programs to people at each table. When Alyssa got hers, she glanced at it to see how many people would be on it. It looked like the banquet would end at a reasonable hour. Good. She did not take a liking to long, drawn-out, boring functions, even though she knew full well that a relatively short program could turn into a long one depending on who is a part of it. Well, she hoped that it wouldn't happen here. One thing she noticed was that Michael would be the very first person to deliver a speech. She hoped he wasn't too nervous about the speech, and that her good luck wish would be enough to make him feel more at ease.

An elderly man walked onto the podium, and cleared his throat. “Can I have your undivided attention please?”

Everyone in the audience stopped what they were doing and turned to face him.

The man spoke loudly into the microphone. “Welcome to our annual lupus awareness gala. The purpose of this is to raise funds for certain lupus patients. Tonight you either will be in for a treat or a treatment.”

Some people started whispering to each other about what the possible treat was. Abigail thought this was so uncouth of them to talk while someone was talking. Alyssa, too, was wondering whatever happened to their manners.

But the gentleman's voice cut through their whispers. “Quiet, please! There shall be no speaking while I am speaking. It is very disrespectful.”

Alyssa nearly burst out laughing at how schoolteacherish Mr. Wallace sounded. However, he spoke the truth. 

The whispering stopped.

“Thank you. Now, as I was saying, someone very well known will be here to give you a treat. However, I will not spoil it for you all. I will leave it to the master of ceremonies. I now call to the podium Mr. Al Sharpton!”

Everyone clapped as Al stepped onto the podium. Lissie recognized him as the man who Michael was speaking to earlier.

“Thank you, folks!” said Al. “Just as Mr. David Wallace was saying, you are in for a special treat. I have known this man for many years. He is a singer, songwriter, dancer, humanitarian and businessman. Contrary to what the media and tabloids have said of him, he is one of the kindest people in this industry, and is a very good friend of mine. Without any further ado, give it up for Michael Jackson!”

The dining room erupted into cheers as the King of Pop walked up. Some people were even screaming, “I love you, Michael!”

'Do your best, Michael I know you can do it,' Alyssa thought as she, Abigail, Kai and Michael's kids gave a round of applause.

“Thank you, I love you, too,” said Michael.

Everyone quieted down and waited for him to begin his speech. They didn't want to miss a thing he said.

“First and foremost, let me just say that I am not a public speaker, but I am very honored to be here this evening. There is a special person who inspired me to do this speech, and this is the first time I have ever been presented with an opportunity to spread lupus awareness, although I have tried for years. And I intend to clear up some innuendo in the process.”

Abigail gave a tiny smile, knowing that she was the special person the pop artist was referring to.  
“Tonight I am here to share my lupus story with you all. And after I am finished, if you have any questions about it, feel free to ask me,” the singer continued. He picked up a folder that was rested against the leg of the chair on the podium.

“Many years ago, sometime before my Bad album, my friend and dermatologist diagnosed me with lupus. A friend of mine referred me to him because there was a butterfly-shaped rash on my face. Have had trouble with my skin in my adolescence, and this was something that acne medication did not help. So, I go to this doctor, and he looks at my face and scalp and says to me, 'You have lupus erythematosus.' And I am like, 'how do you know that?' and he says to me, 'the butterfly rash, the hair loss and the crusting on your scalp.' And so, he told me what to expect, and I didn't know what to think. This has made me sensitive to pain, and sometimes my joints hurt. And I am totally allergic to the sun. Soon after this, I developed vitiligo, which I have spoken about numerous times, and I was told that it was common with lupus since lupus does not cause destruction alone. When I found all of this out, it made me very sad. I was especially embarrassed by the hair loss.” He reached into the folder and pulled out a picture of him with the rash, which was projected on the screen for all to see. He felt so embarrassed showing such graphic pics, but felt it was important that people understand, especially those who did not know anything about lupus.

A bunch of “ awws” came from a few people. They clearly felt sorry for him. Alyssa did, too, and wanted to cry. He was so sensitive and emotional when it came to situations like this, and that made her feel for him even more. Abigail was glad to know that she wasn't alone in this. The kids felt bad, but were proud of their dad for being such a warrior. Kai never knew about this, since the pop idol didn't get too personal with her, so this was a bit of a surprise for her. But then again, she didn't know him for a really long time. Considering how much of a strong person he was around her, she never would have guessed that he could be that upset.

“I appreciate your sympathy everyone.” Michael's tone was a bit wistful at that point. He raised his voice once again. “Sunlight, UV rays, and viral infections are like poison to lupus patients, including myself. This is why you have seen me with an umbrella, and a surgical mask while in public. And I wear the hat to hide the hair loss.” He pulled out another photo from the folder, this one of his hands. The tips of his fingers were an unhealthy color, which was also projected on the screen. “As you can see, my finger tips are discolored, and I was told it is a sign of Raynaud’s Syndrome. It makes holding a microphone very painful, which is another reason I tape my fingertips when performing.”

To be honest, Lissie never noticed anything amiss about Michael’s hands accept the vitiligo. ‘Gosh, that’s one new thing I have learned about Michael’s lupus.’

“So as you see, these things are necessary, even though the media has sensationalized it. I want you to know that those stories that I wore the surgical mask to hide the fact that my nose had fallen off are just BS. That story that my nose fell off is so ridiculous it's incredible.”

“Sing it, brother!” one of the male fans belted out.

A woman behind Alyssa yelled, “Amen!”

'That's right, Michael,' thought the young graphic designer, 'tell it like it is.' She was sure he would be a dynamic speaker, but she never knew he had this side to him. And she was proud of him for not actually swearing. That would have been setting a bad example for his children.

Michael smiled at all the support he was getting. That was the icing on the cake of doing a speech. “So don't believe the nonsense you see in tabloids. “ He paused for a second, and then realized that he pretty much said everything he wanted to say. “I suppose that's about it. Do you have any questions?”

A blonde girl who was at the very front asked the singer how was his lupus at the moment.

“Oh, it's in remission now. But I still have to be careful. Thanks for asking.”

“Michael...I am confused about something,” a dark haired girl called Alison began hesitantly, “you said your skin was affected and your hair fell out. I am not very familiar with lupus, although I have a rough idea of it. Which form of it do you have?”

Michael told her that he had discoid lupus, a mild form of the condition.

“Oh.” Alison felt like a ditz, even though Michael was extremely patient with her. She would do some research after this.

“Any more questions?” Michael asked. No one answered.

“In that case, I'd like to say thank you all for listening to my story, and I hope this clears things up for you, if you don't know what lupus is. I love you so much, and God bless you.”

With that, the superstar left the podium and made his way to the table that his kids, Kai, Alyssa and Abby were at. He received a standing ovation.

“Daddy, that was such a great speech. You're the best speaker ever!” Paris told Michael.

“Mmmhmm,” Prince and Blanket agreed.

Michael still didn't believe giving public speeches was one of his strengths, but if his children said otherwise, he couldn't contradict that. They didn't give compliments that they didn't mean.

“Thank you,” he said, hugging his children.

Lissie was feeling slightly bolder than she usually felt. She hugged the pop star, too. He was glad to oblige. “Your speech was great. And I especially agree with your message about not believing the trashy tabloids,” she told him.

Whoa. Michael wasn't expecting Alyssa to be that blunt, after all, she was sort of the quiet type before. But he was glad she agreed.

“Yes, great job,” said Abby.

“You have done such a wonderful job, Mr. Jackson,” Kai told her boss. “You never cease to amaze me.”

Michael appreciated all the compliments. This made him feel a bit more confident about his speaking skills, but it still wasn't something he would do as much as performing.

As for the rest of the program? The food? Alyssa thought they were fine, but the highlight of her evening was the lupus story. It really touched her heart. And guess what? The pop icon invited her to his mansion for the next day. Of course, she gladly accepted the invitation. Oh, was she looking forward to the next day.


	7. Chapter 7

Alyssa got her keys and was out the door. She was heading for Michael's mansion. He had given her the address before she and Abby left the banquet. She looked at it on paper again. ‘Oh, this street name is sort of familiar…I think I passed it while driving around the city.’ Just to be safe, though, she left a couple of minutes earlier just in case she missed the house or something. She left a note on the doorsteps about where she would be going just in case Anastasia was to come by for anything, locked the door and got in the car. She popped in one of her favorite Christian music CDs to play while she would be driving there, and got on the road. She was so looking forward to this. She got the impression that Michael would be fun to be around. She got the feeling that even if there was nothing planned, she would enjoy herself. Just being around the pop star was good enough. One thing was for certain, she would not be climbing any trees, as much as she loved him. She was kind of a wimp when it came to things like that. She didn't want to risk anything happening. She did, however, admire him for being able to do something rather daring, though she wasn't sure if he was even still doing it at his age. She decided to wait and see what happened. The young lady was especially looking forward to getting to know the kids better. They seemed like such sweet, well-behaved children, which was more than she could say for certain children she knew at her old home outside the US. Boy, did they drive her up the wall at times, and patience was already not a virtue with her. And the chef seemed pretty nice, too.

The melodic voice that crooned helped to soothe Alyssa's spirits somewhat. As much as she tried to keep her mind off the landlord issues, they still nagged at her. She was at the point where she felt something had to be done. She couldn't go on like this. ‘Hopefully spending time with Michael will help me take my mind off that scumbag. There’s no way am I going to let the little bugger’s actions spoil my day.’ She hoped Michael wouldn’t notice she was stressed. She was sure he would assist her in some way if she told him about her problem, but she didn’t want to be seen as a bother. ‘Perhaps I am silly to think he would treat me as a nuisance since he almost never thinks that unless he is being used, and I would never do that.’ But she also thought it was not right to burden him seeing that she was just getting to know him. ‘After all, considering all the crap he went through four years ago, I would be a fool to think his ability to trust is still the same. I mean, sure he has been very kind to me since we have met, but that is part of his charm.’ There was nothing she wanted more than to gain Michael’s trust and become a friend to him, but she wasn’t sure if she ever would. 

‘Oh listen to me, I am being so insecure, it’s pathetic. Of course he will accept my friendship, even if it takes some time. I know he will, gradually.’ Lissie also knew pride was a dangerous thing, so she would gladly accept his assistance if he offered it. It was those mental thoughts she used to reassure herself while she drove the remainder of the way.

 

________________________________________

 

Michael was on the couch in the den, finishing off his last bit of popcorn and watching one of his old concerts on tape. They really brought back memories of the earlier career years. With the exception of the staff, he was the only one at home, as his kids were at a friend's house. He was waiting for Alyssa to arrive. He sure hoped she wouldn't have too difficult a time finding the place, since it could be a little tricky to find. He wasn't sure if the young lady was familiar with Neverland or not, or if she liked amusement parks and animals. If she did, he hoped she wouldn't be too disappointed that he didn't have any of those things at his mansion. He simply couldn't afford to, and it reminded him too much of the bad times he had at Neverland, what with the police from the Santa Barbara County DA annihilating his place during the raid and all. And what would be the point of having it at his mansion even if he could afford to, since very few people would be using it now? He had to admit, though, sometimes he missed doing amusement parks.

About five minutes later, the singer heard the doorbell ring. One of the female security guards went to the door, and was heard greeting someone outside. He wondered if it was his guest. ‘It seems she didn’t have too much difficulty finding my place after all.’

“Mr. Jackson, you were expecting someone named Alyssa, right? Well, she is here now,” the security guard called.

“All right. Great. Tell her to come on in.”

The older woman led Lissie inside. “Right this way,” she said. Alyssa followed, admiring the mansion. The art that hung on the wall was so beautiful. There were also a couple of photos that included Michael with his fans, Michael with his children, and Michael by himself. So far, she liked the mansion a lot. And she was especially looking forward to spending time with the pop star. And this time they would actually have an opportunity to get to know each other better. Before then was only a few minutes, and though grateful for it, she didn't think that was enough.

Lissie whispered “thank you” to the security guard, and entered the den where she found Michael watching an old concert of his. She didn't know exactly which year it was from, but she had an idea that it was after Thriller.

“Hey there, Michael,” she said a bit shyly.

“Hi there. It's so good to see you again.”

“Likewise. Thanks for inviting me.”

“Anytime.” The King of Pop stood up and embraced the 23 year old. She did the same. She wanted to squeeze him like a teddy bear so badly, but she wasn't sure if he could handle it well, especially if his back still bothered him to that day. She didn't want to hurt him if he still had back trouble. “I hope getting here wasn't too difficult for you.”

“No, not at all. Spotted the area a couple of times.”

The security guard left the two alone, since her job was done. Whoever the young lady was, she trusted that she would be in her boss' good hands.

Alyssa sat on the couch next to Michael, and started watching the taped concert as well. ‘Boy, he sure knows how to make the crowd go wild.’ She felt like she was there. But nothing was the same as actually seeing him live, which was what she was looking forward to. After all, it would be the final concert tour. She thought age 50 was an awfully young age to retire, since she knew of artists that still toured at a much older age. But given the fact that Michael had been performing from a very early age, she understood if he felt he was too old for all the stress. Maybe it was time for him to relax. He didn't get too much time to relax, after all. And she meant really relax.

“So which concert is this?” Alyssa asked the pop superstar.

“This is my Bad tour.”

“Oh.” Her assumption that the concert was sometime after Thriller was correct, though she didn't know exactly when. She was close enough. She happened to own the Bad CD, and she knew he recorded the album after he was officially diagnosed with the vitiligo. “By the way, I really like your Invincible album.”

“Thank you so much. I appreciate the compliment.” Hearing that meant a great deal to Michael, especially considering that quite a few critics gave the album negative reviews, and Sony trying to destroy the album's success because they were angry with him for leaving. All in all, he felt that the backstabbing behavior could be traced to one man: Tommy Mottola. Ever since that incident, he branded Tommy as evil. He even had to console R& B sensation Mariah Carey once because of how the CEO had treated her. So when people told the pop sensation that they liked Invincible, it was icing on the cake.

The pop musician turned off the concert so he and Lissie could have a one on one conversation, seeing is how he couldn't very well do that without missing what was happening. Besides, he could always watch it later, since he had no rehearsals that day. He had a question he had wanted to ask her since he first met her, but didn't want to ask her in public, just in case she was as old-fashioned as he could be about certain things. A more private setting would have been more appropriate, he thought.

“If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?” Michael asked Lissie.

Lissie could tell the singer was a little bit embarrassed asking her that. She took it that he was always cautious with asking questions like that because of the fear of offending touchy people, and it was better to be safe than sorry. ‘Well I find nothing offensive about it.’ “I'm twenty-three,” she answered a bit shyly.

“Wow, you're an adult.” The singer was slightly surprised that she was older than he thought, to an extent. He could tell that she was older than the children he helped in the past, but judging by her baby face, she couldn't have been very much older. On the other hand, he wasn't too surprised, as he knew that looks could be deceiving. Well it didn't matter. Twenty-three was still young. He had another question for her. “Do you like amusement parks?”

“Love them.” Lissie wished that the mansion had an amusement park so she could go on all of her favorite rides. She hadn't done any of those in a while.

Michael realized that Alyssa had one thing in common with him. Interesting. Not that it mattered. So far, he liked the person she was. She was sweet, which was more than he could say for certain adults he thought were his friends. The girl may have been an adult, but she was still young. Either way, she seemed more of a trustworthy person than most adults. “We will have to do one sometime. Sorry about the fact that I am no longer at Neverland.”

“It's all right. I'm sorry that you had to go through those false accusations and lengthy trial.”

The entertainer was so glad to have made it through all that drama, and he knew he couldn't have if God, friends, family and loyal fans were not by his side, and for that, he was grateful. But the arrest was a horrible ordeal. “The arrest was just as bad, but worse.”

“What?” asked the young graphic designer. “What do you mean? What happened?” Though she had found out some of what the pop icon went through, she didn't get to learn all the details yet. She really wanted to know so she could comfort him if she needed to. ‘Don’t tell me the police beat him up or something.’ Something told her that was what had happened, otherwise he would not have been so upset. 

Michael thought about this for a moment, and debated within himself whether he should tell her. The experience was so upsetting and excruciating for him that he didn't like to talk about it. He had a hard time keeping from crying when he spoke of the incident in an interview. But there was something in Lissie's eyes that made him feel like he could confide in her. ‘Go on. Tell her,’ urged a voice inside of him. ‘She loves and supports you very much.’ 

“You're aware of the 2003 allegations, right?”

“Right,” answered Alyssa, discreetly seething. Just thinking about that made her blood boil. It was like those people had nothing better to do with their time than spend it making up rumors and causing drama.

“Well, I turn myself in, and they were only supposed to check finger prints and everything. They manhandled me roughly and my shoulder was dislocated. It was hurting me so badly that I was barely able to move them, and I was in pain for a long time.”

‘So I was right. They did physically assault him. They’re just lucky his lupus is not extremely severe.’ Alyssa thought that was very low of the police. It was so typical for them to think they didn’t have to keep their own laws. It took everything she had to keep from shaking with rage. “Oh no. Does it hurt you to this day?” she asked.

The star could tell that Lissie was genuinely worried. “Sometimes.”

Lissie let out a sigh of relief. She didn't like Michael being in pain. “So what else happened?” she asked, bracing herself for something worse.

“The handcuffs were on too tight and my arms were swollen. And one time I went to use the restroom the cops locked me inside for 45 minutes and there were feces everywhere. And a cop made a sarcastic remark about it, asking me how I liked the smell. I simply said 'it's all right, it's okay.”

It took a little while for the young woman to absorb what the singer just said, and when she did, she snapped. She had tried her best to keep her cool, but this was just too much. That was totally inexcusable behavior, unless the suspected criminal was truly out of line with the cop. She didn't think Michael was, though. And the thing is, Michael hadn’t even done anything wrong. The cops just did that because of what some idiots said, instead of asking questions and investigating like they were supposed to do. ‘Screw this, Forget keeping my cool.’ “Excuse my language here, but what the hell? That's so disgusting and so deplorable I can't believe anyone in their right mind did that.” She caught herself, remembering that she was in front of a real gentleman. 

As expected, Michael glanced sideways at the young woman, a little surprised. He wasn't expecting that. She was pretty soft-spoken, he never would have guessed she had this side to her. 

Alyssa regained her cool just as quickly as she had lost it. “Oops, sorry.”

“It's okay.” Michael thought it was sweet of Lissie to be on his side. And he heard worse language than that from people who defended him.

“Well, anyway, I can assure you that justice will be served one day, and those who caused you pain will regret it.” Alyssa paused, finally ready to tell him what was on her mind about him. She took his hand in hers. “You have my love and support.”

Those words deeply touched the pop king's heart. They always did, considering that not a whole lot of people publicly voiced their appreciation for him. The screaming fans didn't really count, since he had too many fans to talk to one on one in a short time. He was right. He could trust her. And her hands were so soft. He held them for a couple of seconds. “Thank you, that's beautiful. I love you.”

Hearing that from the King of Pop was a little surreal...and made her feel just a little weak in the knees. Even so, she decided to take a page from his book. “I love you more.” Alyssa realized how comfortable she felt around the singer. It didn't even feel like he was old enough to be her dad. He was talking to her as if she were on the same level as he was. He was one of the nicest people, if not THE nicest person she ever met. For this reason, it made her even angrier that some people were out to hurt him, and made up ridiculous rumors all the time. As for hating him for his appearance? She wondered how shallow could people get. ‘Didn’t these people ever learn it is the inside that counts, not the outside?’ She thought the fact that he was so beautiful inside made him appear beautiful on the outside. If he were one of those stars that let fame and fortune go to his head and had a nasty attitude, how he looked would not matter to her. She would keep her distance from him.

“So, what do you do for a living?” Michael asked Alyssa.

“Oh, I own a graphics designing business with a friend. It's called Graphics and Animations Incorporated.” Not as exciting as being a musician, she knew, but it was something she had an interest in for a few years.

That name rang a bell with the superstar. He recalled seeing a flier regarding the business about two and a half weeks ago, shown to him by one of his bodyguards. The business captivated him. So this young lady was its owner? He felt honored to be in her presence. He wanted to met her and see her 'art.' Was it fate that he crossed paths with her?

“Oh, cool. You know, a couple of weeks ago, I came across a brochure at this mansion a couple of weeks ago. So you're the one who owns this business.”

“Yup.” She told him about how it started and how much she and Anastasia advertised. “Had no idea that a flier was brought to this mansion.” She asked, rather shyly, “Would you like to see my website?”

“Sure I would. But you're gonna have to help me out with it. I am not computer literate, not at all. I have a truckload of computer books, but they do very little to help me. I can use the computer to watch a DVD on my own, but when it comes to the Internet, forget it.”

“Ah, I see.” Alyssa was a little shocked by that piece of information. She never knew that. “Well assisting you will not be a problem at all.”

Michael led her to the computer room. It was rather large, and there were a bunch of computer books, all right. All on the shelf. She wouldn't need them. She perched on the chair in front of computer desk. Michael sat next to her. He watched as she turned on the computer and waited for it to boot up. He could already see that she seemed to be an expert when it came to using the technology...more than he was, that's for sure.

Alyssa pulled up her website and navigated to the pages where her works were. The singer thought they were very good, very creative. He could see the type of art she was into. It looked quite interesting.

“Your work is really good,” Michael told her. “You have a great talent.”

Alyssa couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had learnt how to do it 4 ½ years ago and she was just becoming satisfied with her abilities. Perhaps she was being too modest. The fact that someone who was quite partial to beautiful art was complimenting her abilities brought a boost to her confidence. 

“Well, thank you. I am glad you think so,” she replied rather modestly.

“You deserve to have an office building for this business,” the musician continued. He wasn't going to tell her about how he would invest in one for her. It would be a surprise.

“Yes, that would be nice.” She wanted to have one, especially since she wanted to get out of that apartment if it was the last thing she did. ‘Hell, I’m just gonna call the cops for the landlord. I don’t want anyone else to suffer the way I did.’

“So how are things going for you?”

Alyssa hadn't wanted to tell Michael about the small problem that was growing bigger. She thought about it some more, and it didn't seem like a bad idea to tell him. After all, he told her about an incident that she imagined was pretty painful. So she figured that talking about it would make her feel better. It looked like he wanted to help.

“Things are going all right, I suppose. But I am having a little problem.”

“Oh? What is it?”

Alyssa told the crooner the whole ugly story about the issue with her land lord. “I have had thoughts about suing him, but the lawsuit could take forever. Calling the cops is what I am planning to do. What do you think?”

Michael was outraged when he heard about this. It sounded like this land lord was good-for-nothing. He didn't stand for people like that. Most of all, he was worried for the young lady's safety. She could die if she stayed there. He didn't want her to be sent to an early grave. She just couldn't stay there.

“Well, that can work, but it sounds as if you really need to get out of there,” he said a bit worriedly.

Alyssa gave a little sigh. If only she knew where she would go. “Yes, I would like that very much. But how?”

“Come live here.”

Alyssa couldn't believe it. Michael was actually inviting her to move into his mansion! That was something she could not turn down, especially considering that he really wanted to help out. And it would enable her to be there for him. She thought he could use a friend. She didn't want to seem overly-excited about it, though. “Well...well, sure!”

Michael gave a small smile, pleased to have helped his young-adult friend with the problem. And he felt that the press would be complete fools if they ragged on him about this. One, there was a guest unit upstairs he would have her use, and two, she was pretty much a woman, not a child. Not that reporters would ever get to set foot on his property, now that he had increased the amount of security.


	8. Chapter 8

It was Monday morning, and Michael had just finished eating breakfast with his children. Now the kids were helping him fix up the guest bedroom that was right next to his. They were fixing it in preparation for Alyssa's arrival. The singer felt safer that the young lady would be in a bedroom near his, and he also wanted to ensure she would be safe as well. She had told Michael she would be coming that afternoon. He would already be gone to his rehearsals by then, and he would be taking his kids with him. But his staff would be there, so they could show her around. She was also welcome to drop by Staples Center and watch him rehearse if she cared to. He would make sure to tell security, bodyguards and his director that he asked her to come, just in case they decided to have a hissy fit.

The kids were looking forward to Alyssa coming, Paris especially. They had quite a bit of fun with her when she was there the two days prior. They thought she was lots of fun, nice and very easygoing for someone her age. Her personality was somewhat like their dad's. Paris especially liked the fact that Lissie saw what a great man her daddy was. She had the potential to be like an older sister figure to her. Even Blanket found the young woman to be a good person, although he had only opened up slightly since he first met her at the banquet that night. Michael had reminded the kids to make Alyssa feel welcome and not to give her a hard time. Not that they usually did, but on rare occasions, they forgot their place.

“Daddy?” Paris asked in a small voice, placing a cup of paper flowers on a desk in the spacious room. She had decided to make them when she got the news that Lissie was coming to stay.

“Hmmm?”

“Do you think Alyssa will like this room?” The eleven-year old girl was eager to please the new acquaintance.

“I'm sure she will.” The crooner had made sure to fix up the room so it was comfortable for the young business person. One could say that he went all out in the process. The room was fit for a princess...or a queen. Whichever one she chose. He wasn't going to give her or anyone who stayed at his place anything less than the best. And he was proud of Prince, Blanket and Paris for doing most of the cleaning in the room without him, considering how big a job it was to tackle. Not only that, but decorating and setting stuff up had to be done, so tidying was a big help. They did such a good job with it, too. He could see that they were taking the preparation just as seriously as everyone else was. His kids were generally very thoughtful to begin with.

Prince was a little bit curious about Alyssa as well...about what her favorite things were. He wanted someone new to talk Star Wars with. He asked Michael about what Alyssa liked, if he knew whether she liked Star Wars or not.

Michael didn't really know that much, except for the fact that she was an appreciator of art and she seemed fond of Japanese Animation. He also knew about her love for amusement parks. As for food? He didn't know much about that except he noticed she willingly ate the KFC with them that evening.

“Gee, I don't know. We'll have to ask her when she comes,” the singer answered.

 

“Okay!”

After a bit more setting up, the room was ready. The children admired their handiwork. They were so proud of themselves. Michael thought they did a nice job as well. He was confident that Lissie would like it. Speaking of which, he hoped she got the issue with her now former landlord under control. Even though she wouldn't be in that apartment, chances were that he would treat other people the same way, so something else had to be done.

Suddenly, Paris got an idea, a nice and thoughtful one. She whispered it to Prince and Blanket, who thought it was a great idea and wanted to help. “Daddy, we're going to make a care package for Alyssa. It's similar to the box of happiness we made for Ms. Chase when you asked her to come back,” she said.

‘It seems they are going all out. Good for them.’ A part of him worried about whether they would feel threatened by Alyssa staying with them. Though they didn't seem to be that way, you never know. “I'm sure she'll appreciate it very much. Remember that I'm leaving for rehearsal in 3 hours.”

“This won't take long. Don't worry, we'll be ready!” With that, the little girl and her two siblings skipped out of the luxurious looking bedroom.

 

________________________________________

A police car pulled up in front of the landlord's house, and four cops got out of the car. Alyssa had contacted them to let them know about the man's unfair treatment and negligence. They knocked on the door. The landlord was about to step outside to have a smoke. He muttered under his breath about the knocking. He didn't feel like being bothered with any visitors. He thought it was Alyssa again, bugging him about the pest problem, so he didn't go to the door. 'I don't have time for the likes of that woman. I have more important things to worry about.' He figured that if he ignored her, she would get tired and go away sooner or later. Going outside would have to wait.

The knocking continued, and got louder. Gritting his teeth, the cantankerous landlord went to see who it was. He saw 4 policemen standing outside. ‘What do these stupid cops want with me?' Little did he know, his destiny was going to change. Heaving a sigh, he answered the door. “Yes?”

“I have received some complaints from several people regarding discriminatory actions, negligence and physical abuse on your part. To make things easier for yourself, I suggest that you cooperate with us and come quietly.”

The short tempered man realized that Alyssa and some other people must have told the police about mistreatment. He knew what he did, but he did not regret it. He started swearing at the cops. “I don't have time for this crap. “ He was about to slam the door shut, but one of the cops caught it and held it open. The cop was much stronger than the landlord. He was surprised. “What in--”

The cops looked at each other, and realized how difficult this potential criminal was being. They had hoped they wouldn't have to be tough on him, but he was giving them no choice. It was time for Plan B. One of the cops grabbed the landlord and dragged him out of the house. Another cop was holding him down. The man tried to break free, but that was impossible to do with cops who were both over 200lbs.

“Place your arms behind your back!” the cop barked.

The landlord reluctantly complied since he knew it was futile to resist. The policeman held his arms together, and a third cop placed the handcuffs around his wrists and fastened them. He was shoved into the police car and taken to the station.

 

________________________________________

Alyssa was on the road again late that afternoon, heading for Michael Jackson's mansion once again. Only this time, it would be long term. She had to take most of the day off, as it had taken her several hours to pack and take care of some last minute stuff, such as letting Anastasia know about this. The blonde had said it was not a problem, that she also had an office at her house they could use. She updated the company's website, removing Alyssa's contact office number and replacing it with hers. She turned off the CD for a sec and changed it to the local news station to see what was going on. She had been praying hard that there would be results from her filed complaint. 

“David Sanchez was arrested today after a young lady filed a complaint about unfair treatment regarding dealing with a problem with her apartment. Also, other people have reportedly had discrimination related problems...he will be arraigned July 13...........”

The graphic designer realized the lady was speaking about her former landlord, though she never knew his last name. She was the young lady who called the police earlier that day, and she had the problem with getting him to cooperate. She didn't know that other people were having problems with him as well, although at this point, it didn't surprise her. ‘Yes! My call worked! Now he will get what’s coming to him.’ She couldn’t help cracking a smile. He really deserved it, since he took advantage of her patience. It was like he was asking for trouble.

Alyssa turned off the radio and went back to listening to the CD again. She was looking forward to this. She realized she might not get to spend much time with the musician since he was a very busy man, but as long as he made an effort, she would be happy. She was sure that he would. And she would be busy with certain responsibilities as well, so that made two of them.

Soon, Lissie saw the large mansion which was surrounded by huge trees. She reversed in the driveway, and parked. She saw some men and women lined up outside, presumably the security guards. Some of them always stood outside to greet whenever their boss was expecting visitors. She hoped they would also assist in carrying her things. She could really use some help. She got out of the car. One of the guards walked up to her. “Your name is Alyssa, correct?”

“That's right.”

“We've been expecting you.”

Alyssa realized Michael must have told the guards of her arrival that day. She wondered if he was home, or if he went to his second rehearsal. Either way, it didn't matter. If he wasn't there, she could manage as soon as she knew where everything was, which areas were off-limits, that sort of thing. Plus, she realized she hadn't written to Shannon since her relocation to California. She hadn't forgotten her or anything, she had just been tied up with different stuff. ‘I hope Shannon isn’t too mad at me.’

“Well, I am sure that you want to be getting inside now,” observed the female guard. She didn't want Michael to come outside and then get the idea that she was being inefficient or something. She also offered to help Lissie with her stuff.

Lissie was glad about that, since she really needed the help, and she would have had to figure out how to ask without sounding like a bother. “Yes. Thank you,” she managed to say.

“My pleasure. I'm sorry if I forgot my place.”

 

“It's okay.” She popped open the trunk, grabbed what she could, and went to the door. The woman got a little exasperated. “Hey boys, don't stand there like a bunch of stupid sticks! Help me out here!” She gave them a look.

The other security guards knew what the look meant. It was one that left very little room for arguing. Looking sheepish, they immediately came to help.

Alyssa rested her suitcase down and rang the doorbell. She waited for a little while. She looked at her watch. Five o'clock. Not too bad. She could do some unpacking and relaxing. She just hoped whoever was home didn't take all evening to answer the door. Just then, she heard footsteps coming towards the door. 'Finally,' she thought. The door was opened. Standing there was a woman she didn't recall meeting when she was there two days ago. Who was she?

“I am Mr. Jackson's nanny,” said the woman. “You're Alyssa, the girl Mr. Jackson mentioned?”

The slightly bewildered young woman nodded. “Yes I am.”

“Well, you may call me Grace. Come on in. Mr. Jackson has been waiting for you. ”

Alyssa picked up the suitcase and walked in, security guards following with the rest of her stuff. Grace took the suitcase from Alyssa.

“Mr. Jackson is in the living room,” she said. “We'll take your stuff upstairs for you.” Usually the guards were not allowed up stairs unless he gave them the green light to do so, and this was one of the times. Alyssa couldn't carry everything by herself, and while he would gladly help, his back was slightly bothering him, and he didn't want to risk exacerbating the problem. It was also one of the reasons he decided to skip the second rehearsal that day. He also did it to spend time with Alyssa.

“Okay. Thank you all.” She cheerfully walked to the living room. Prince, Blanket and Paris were sitting on the floor. Michael was on the couch, reading a story to them.

Rats. She wanted to say hi, but she didn't want to be rude and interrupt their story time. She decided to just wait. Maybe they would notice her presence. She sat in an armchair and listened to them read. It was the story of Peter Pan. She never read the story, so she wasn't sure whether he was almost finished or not. She decided to write a quick letter to Shannon while she waited. She had so much to tell her. Quite a bit had happened over the past two and a half weeks. She walked up the stairs. She had never been much for doing that, as she was always bit afraid of falling down the steps. She spotted three rooms. Four of those rooms had the doors closed to them. She presumed that they were Michael's and his children's rooms. She entered the room where the door to it was open, seeing if it was hers. Sure enough, it was. She saw her suitcase lined up next to the closet, her boxes on the bed and on the floor next to the suitcase. ‘Wow, this room is so beautiful! I can’t believe I’m actually going to be staying here!’ She was pleased to see that the bedroom had a bathroom. It was so convenient for her. The bed was made with a very nice velvety red bedspread. One of her favorite colors. The curtains were drapes that could be pulled by the strings, and there was a desk and a chair. It had a vase with paper flowers and a box on it. She looked to see whom the box belonged to. It had her name written on it. 'I wonder what's inside it.’ She opened it and saw a puzzle book, a granola bar, a Star Wars comic book, fruit candy, a bag of cookies, and a note.

Alyssa wondered what the note said, and who it was written by. She unfolded the piece of paper. It read:

'Welcome to our home, Alyssa. We're so glad that you came here. You are so nice. We hope to get to know you better. Thank you so much for making our daddy happy. You feel like a sister to us. Enjoy the care package.

Signed,

Paris, Prince and Blanket

Alyssa got choked up reading that. It was so sweet of them. She would have return the favor to them  
sometime. Michael was so blessed to have such sweet children. He trained them very well. She closed up the box and went to the bathroom to blow her nose. She was on the verge of tears at the moment, and she didn't want them to mess up the ink on the paper while she was writing the letter. 

That done, Lissie got a sheet of paper, pen, and sat at her desk. She wrote:

Dear Shannon,

Sorry it has taken me so long to write. I haven't forgotten about you, so don't think for a minute that's what happened. I think about you a lot. I really do. I am simply busy with a lot of things and when I am done, I feel too tired to sit down and write anything. Quite a few things have happened, and I am doing very well.

She wrote about everything that had been going on since they last talked: the business, how she met Michael, how much she loved LA, and she gave a summary of what it was like in her apartment and how Michael invited her to move in with him and the kids. Lissie ended the letter by saying:

I'd better run. Left Michael reading with his kids and I want to see if they're done so I can greet them. But I hope to hear from you soon. I hope you're doing all right. Take it easy and I'll talk to you again soon.

Love always,  
Lissie

The young woman felt much better, now that she had written the letter. She folded it, placed it in an envelope, and wrote the address on it. She would mail it on her way to work the next morning. She made her way downstairs and went to the living room. Michael and his children were still there, but they were done reading. Now they were just sitting there. “Hi Paris, Prince and Blanket,” she said, sounding a little bit shaky. Oh great. Not exactly the most elegant sounding voice. She hoped they didn't think she was crying.

Luckily, they didn't. In fact, the kids gave her a greeting she didn't expect. Were they really looking forward to her coming? “Lissie's here, yay!” They stood up and hugged her. She hugged them back.

“By the way, thanks for the care package you made me.”

“You like it?” Paris asked.

Alyssa nodded. “Very much.”

“Even the Star Wars book?” Prince asked.

“Prince!” hissed Paris.

The graphic designer held back a laugh. “Never read it...but I think Star Wars is pretty cool.” She then turned to Michael. “Hey there, Michael.”

“Hi there. How are you?” The musician stood up so Lissie could hug him, which she took the opportunity to do. She loved doing that.

“I'm good. “

“It is so good to see you.”

“It's great to be here. How was rehearsal?”

“Went well. Won't be going to the second one.”

Alyssa was alarmed. She knew how much he was looking forward to doing the London concerts. She hoped he wasn't backing out. “How come?”

“My back started to hurt.”

“Oh.” She thought that was quite reasonable, but felt it was too bad as well, because she knew how he liked to work hard on stuff like that. Was to be expected, since he was getting older. Still, sore back or not, she was glad she would get to spend time with him. ‘It may sound a little selfish of me, but I suspected he was being worked too hard. If those AEG people have a shred of humanity left in them, they would let him rest when he feels he has to.’


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
________________________________________

The next day, Alyssa headed downstairs for breakfast. She had a very peaceful sleep the night before, and the bed was so comfortable. She especially liked the idea of her bedroom being near the bedrooms of Michael and the kids. It made her feel safe, and she would be nearby if something were to happen to either of them. She was ready for her day at work. She wondered what was for breakfast. She had told Michael the previous day to let Kai know that she was a vegan. He didn't think it would be too big a problem since during the weekdays, he often used health foods like organic foods to keep his strength up. On the other hand, it might be kind of a challenge since Lissie was going much further than he was. He admired her strong will power, and it surprised him at the same time. Even though he was a strict vegetarian some years ago, he lapsed in the diet after awhile. But she mentioned that on occasions she ate non-vegan stuff, so having the “junk” food on Saturdays along with everyone else was not a problem. That was swell with Michael. He had some concerns about her relying on supplements alone. He didn't want her to become too dependent on them, especially if she didn't have to. He had been there and done that with the dependency stuff, although it was painkillers. Had a bit of a relapse with them, but he was trying to get it under control.

Alyssa didn't hear anything in the neighboring bedrooms. ‘That’s weird…don’t tell me Michael and his children are still asleep.’ She looked at her watch. It read nine fifteen. ‘I overslept a bit.’ They had told her that they were usually up by eight thirty. Michael must have decided to let her sleep. Quite nice of him, but she decided she would set her alarm clock. She didn't want to be late for work. She went into the dining room. Sure enough, Michael and his kids were seated at the table. Kai was in the kitchen.

“Morning everyone,” said the young woman, taking the seat between Michael and Blanket.

“Morning.”

“Did you sleep well?” asked the pop idol.

“That I did, thank you. How about you?”

“Barely got any. This insomnia is getting worse.”

“I see.” Alyssa had no idea that he suffered from insomnia. She wondered if it was brought on by the occasional aches and pains. She thought it was a huge possibility, since that type of pain could be intense. She felt sorry for him. She hoped that whatever discomfort he had to deal with subsided so he wouldn't have to resort to drastic means to get sleep. ‘Maybe I should give him an Enya CD…that should make him feel relaxed enough to fall asleep.’ “Well I'm sure you'll be able to manage it all right.”

“I appreciate that, Lissie.” The singer really hoped so, because the sleeplessness was almost unbearable. Being an insomniac was a pain in the rear. He had been dealing with it at least since he was a young adult, and it would flare up depending on how hectic the concert preparations were. However, the insomnia deteriorated a bit since the arrest years earlier. And the pain certainly didn't help matters. He didn't want to have to go to drastic measures just to get sleep, but he couldn't take it for much longer. All he could do for now is endure it as best as he could, since his former nutritionist was well-meaning when she said he might not survive if he took the powerful sedative, Diprivan. Right now his choice of painkiller was Aleve, which his best friend Liz Taylor had brought for him the evening before. It was safe for something that was designed to stop pain all day. And it only took two. That was a good deal for him.

“Is granola and almond milk is okay for you?” the chef called from the kitchen.

“Sure it is. Thank you.” Sounded exactly like her type of breakfast. She ate the stuff ever so often...it was one of her favorites. Alyssa really had to hand it to Kai, she really knew what to make. She could see why Michael hired her. She apparently knew how to accommodate all sorts of diets. She thought the chef ought to have her own cooking show or something.

The 37 year old lady brought out the bowl of granola and a glass of a beige colored liquid. She placed it on the table in front of Alyssa, saying, “Here you go.”

“Thank you.” The young woman said a silent prayer, and polished off the healthy breakfast. When she was done, she complimented the chef. “You should write a cookbook. Or better yet, have your own cooking show.”

Kai raised an eyebrow slightly. She got the “you should write your own cookbook” compliment a lot, but no one had ever told her that she should have her own cooking show before. That was the nicest compliment she ever gotten. “Well, thank you. I appreciate it. You know, I have thoughts about writing my own cookbook.”

“Great. I am looking forward to seeing what you do for it.” Alyssa glanced at her watch and saw that it was about time she got going.

“Well, I'm off to work now. I will be home shortly after four,” she said, standing up and pushing her chair in. “I have someone I would like you all to meet. See you guys later.”

Michael was about to tell Lissie to have a good day when all of a sudden, he heard a faint sound of the doorbell ringing and one of his security guards asking who it was. He wondered who that could be. He wasn't expecting any visitors. Alyssa looked at her watch again. Nine forty. Anastasia's house was at least a fifteen minute drive from the mansion. She hoped that whatever was going on wouldn't take too long.

“Mr. Jackson, it is your elder sister Latoya!”

The musician wondered what Latoya wanted. It wasn't that he had a problem with her being there. He loved his big sister very much. And he was sure his kids would be glad to see their aunt. He was glad that it wasn't his dad, as he hadn't given the young woman any instructions on what to do when he came, since the elderly man could be very intimidating. He would have had to tell Lissie to hurry up and leave. He wondered if something was wrong. A horrible thought occurred to him. Did she have bad news? Were his parents sick or something? Knowing that he would go crazy worrying, he decided to just go and see what was up.

“I'll be right back. I'm sorry about this.”

“It's all right,” replied Alyssa. She didn't want the singer to be sorry about his sister being there. She knew that it could be something important.

Michael left the dining room and went to see what was up with Latoya. Alyssa was starting to panic. ‘Such a bad time. I hope I won’t be late for work. What if Michael wants to introduce me to his sister? I don’t want to be late, but I don’t want to appear disrespectful, either.’ She didn't know what to do. She wracked her brain for a solution. Lucky for her, she was pretty much self- employed, so she didn't have to worry too much. She got an idea, and excused herself to make a phone call. Three rings. “Hello, this is Stacey.”

“Hi Stacey, this is Lissie.”

“I know, silly.”

“Ha ha. Very funny.” Alyssa made a little face. Sometimes Anastasia could be a real smart aleck.

“So what's up?”

“I am a little tied up at the moment. I will be about five to ten minutes late.”

Stacey was silent for a moment. She hoped nothing was wrong this time. She decided not to ask at that moment. “Okay, no problem. I will take phone calls until then.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it. You're the greatest.”

“If you say so. See you.”

“See you.” Alyssa hung up the cell phone and reentered the dining room. The children were clearing off the table. Not saying anything, Lissie started to help them. Blanket sneaked peeks at her with curious eyes. She didn't really pay attention. She figured that he still needed a little time to open up. When he did speak to her, though, he was as friendly as his older siblings were. She expected nothing less from him.

Soon, the table was clean. Paris did something that surprised Alyssa. She hugged her around the waist. It was rather tentative and careful, but the young lady could still feel the affection. She patted the little girl on the back a few times.

“Thank you for helping us clean up the table,” Paris told Lissie.

“My pleasure.” Just as Alyssa was wondering what Paris' action was for, she understood. Apparently she showed her gratitude that way at times. She was glad that there was a connection.

“I hope there will be time for us to watch Star Wars together sometime,” said Prince.

“Of course.” Lissie suppressed an amused look. It looked like the 12 year old would not let her forget that. Well, he didn't have to worry. She was a woman of her word most of the time. If she couldn't do something she would let the person know ahead of time if it was in her power to do so.

Lissie and the kids were about to leave the dining room area when all of a sudden, they heard voices. They belonged to Michael and his older sister. All of a sudden Alyssa felt just a tad uneasy. She didn't really know of Latoya that well, accept for what she read when she learned about the truth about the 93 allegations. The fact that she betrayed Michael wasn't cool, even though she did take it back. She didn't know why the older woman did it in the first place, but since Michael eventually forgave her, she would try to as well. Forgiving people when they didn't apologize for wrongdoing was something she struggled with for years, but she did admire the singer's forgiving nature. ‘Who knows, maybe his forgiving nature will rub off on me, sooner or later.’ 

Sure enough, Michael entered the dining room area with a woman. The woman had light brown skin and light golden brown hair. She wore a white button down shirt and blue jeans, as well as sunglasses. She took them off.

“Aunt Latoya!” Prince, Blanket and Paris were so happy to see their aunt. They jogged to the older woman and hugged her. She hugged them.

“I will be here all day to spend time with my favorite niece and nephews,” she told them.

The kids were so happy to hear that. “Oh, goody!” They didn't know what she had planned for them, but they were sure it would be fun. They always had a blast with her.

Alyssa was nearly paralyzed at this point. 'Just great,' she thought. 'Why did this have to happen NOW? At this rate if and when Michael introduces me, I'll make a total idiot of myself.' She pulled herself together as best as she could.

The pop star smiled at his kids' enthusiasm. His children were family oriented just like he was. Then he looked serious. He knew Alyssa had to get going soon, so the introduction would have to be quick. He walked towards a nervous but calm Lissie, and placed one of his hands on her shoulders. Though a little surprised, she liked the feeling. And she felt butterflies in her stomach.

“This is my new friend Alyssa. She has just moved here,” he told his sister.

“I see. Nice to meet you, Alyssa.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Latoya.” Lissie gave her a firm handshake. Latoya couldn't help but notice that the young lady was baby faced. She gave her younger brother a funny look. He wondered why she was looking at him like that. ‘Is there something stuck in my teeth?’ But that moment was not the time to question her.

Alyssa had to admit, Michael's sister seemed like a nice enough person, considering what she did in the past. She had to get to know her better before thinking much of her, though. But now she really had to get going. ‘How do I say this without seeming disrespectful?’ Then she knew.

“Well, I really must get going now. I'm running late. It was nice meeting you, Latoya. See you later.”

“All right. Have a good day,” said Latoya. She was a little relieved, as she didn't want to say what she wanted to say in front of the young lady.

Lissie said goodbye to Michael and his kids as well. “Remember, I'll be back shortly after four. And I'll have someone with me.”

“All right. You take care.”

“Bye bye!”

With that, Lissie left.

“She's lovely, isn't she?” Michael asked his sister.

Latoya thought this was the perfect time to kid around with her younger brother. “I suppose she is, but...”

Michael didn't like the sound of that. “But what?”

“Don’t take offense, but isn't she a little too young to be your girlfriend?”

'Oh, great,' thought the singer. 'She thinks I'm in love .She can be such a tease.' “That's not how I meant it,” he protested.

“I know, I know. I was only teasing you,” said Latoya, giving Michael an amused look. “No need to be defensive.”

Paris, Blanket and Prince went to their rooms to read until it was time to get ready to go watch their dad rehearse. They didn't want to eavesdrop on such a conversation.

“On a more serious note, though...where did you two first meet?” Latoya asked Michael. “Tell me everything.”

Michael thought she was being just a little bit nosy but also knew she was just being a concerned older sister and looking out for his best interest. “Well,” he began, “we first met when she was a patient in the hospital.” He told her about how he had visited her there and how he talked to her on the telephone a few times as well as invited her to the banquet where he told his lupus story.

“Oh? Is that so?” Latoya lowered her eyes a bit. She was there, but she didn't recall seeing Lissie. Probably because there were so many people there. No wonder she didn't look familiar. “I see. So you really care about her, don't you?”

“That I do. She's such a wonderful person, and a supportive fan.”

Latoya had to admit that during the brief moment she interacted with Alyssa, she did seem friendly and pleasant...though she would have to get to know her better to fully decide. But she wanted to.

“In that case, I am happy for you, and I hope I get to know her even better.”

“You will.”

Latoya was glad to hear that. In the meantime, she was going to spend time with Michael and his three children. She even planned to surprise him by watching his rehearsals. She had a bad feeling about the fact that the number of shows he planned to do increased to fifty, since he originally only wanted to do ten. But she would be there to support him all the way, just in case the people who worked for AEG tried to do anything shady. She didn't really trust them for some reason. But then again, she didn't trust most of the people who worked for her brother. There were times he confided to her that he feared someone wanted to kill him for his earnings and his catalogues. After all, people had taken advantage of Michael's meek and loving nature in the past. She would not allow that anymore.

 

________________________________________

As usual, it was a very busy day at work for Stacey and Alyssa. They got more calls than usual. When Lissie had told Anastasia what had happened that morning, she was relieved. She was worried that something horrible had happened. She thought Lissie was very fortunate to be living with the King of Pop and the invitation was so kind of him. It made her respect for him increase. And she stood a better chance of meeting him. She was so looking forward to meeting him.

“So does he know about this?” asked Stacey. “I don't want to trespass on his property.”

“Sure he does. I let him know this morning. He was really cool about it,” answered Lissie cheerfully.

“Oh ok. Just making sure.”

“Well, let's get out of here,” said Lissie.

Stacey and Lissie exited the office and the house. Lissie went to warm her car while the blonde locked her doors. Lissie proceeded to start the engine, and after a few seconds it cut off. She wasn't expecting that.

'Um...what the heck is going on here?' she thought, exasperated, 'don't tell me this car isn't going to start.'

She tried again, and she got the same result. Same thing the third and fourth time she tried. This was beginning to annoy her. ‘I can’t believe this! It was working just fine this morning. Looks like this car will have to go in the shop.' That was bad, because it meant she would have trouble getting to work. She would have to worry about that later. She considered using a chauffeur, but she didn't want to take advantage of Michael's staff. And Stacey didn't exactly live nearby, so it was almost out of her way.

Stacey came over to the car. “Ready to go?” she asked.

“Yes…except there's a small problem...” she said, looking a little bit frazzled. “The car wouldn't start.”

“Oh, that stinks. I hate when that happens. Well, no problem. I'll give you a lift since I'll be there briefly anyway.”

“Thank you! You're a lifesaver!”

“I wouldn't say that,” replied Anastasia, looking a bit modest. “Anyway, let's hit the road.”

“Of course.” Clutching the envelope with the letter she'd written to Shannon in her hand, the young woman climbed into Stacey's car and fastened her seatbelt. Unfortunately, she didn't get a chance to mail the letter yet. She would mail it if she left early enough the next day. Stacey felt like such a fool for offering to take her friend home and not knowing the directions. ‘What an idiot I am.’

“So, um...” the blonde said a bit sheepishly. “Where is this mansion exactly?”

Lissie gave her the address.

“Oh, I think I can find that. I do not go in that area often, you see.” She turned on the AC in the car and put the radio to an 80's hits music station.

________________________________________

Michael's kids were in the den, cleaning up the Monopoly pieces they were playing with. They had just finished off the game with Latoya and Michael. Michael had won the game, though they tried their hardest. He was so good at the game. They wanted to play as good as him someday. Latoya had just left to do some grocery shopping, but said she would be back the next day. They were happy to hear that. They had so much fun with her. They also felt bad that Lissie missed it, Blanket especially. He was ready to open up to her now.

“When will Lissie come home?” he asked, playing with his long brown hair.

“She'll be home any minute now,” answered Paris. “She said she'd be home four o'clock, remember?”

“Oh right.” The little boy continued helping his siblings put up the game. They were almost finished when a few minutes later, they heard the sound of the door bell ringing and the front door opening. They wondered if it was Alyssa. They went to see. Sure enough, it was her. With her was a slim blonde young woman wearing glasses and a business suit. They didn't know who she was, but she sure was pretty.

Alyssa spotted the three children. “Hey there, Paris, Blanket, Prince. I hope you had a good day.”

“We did,” said Prince. “You missed it.”

Alyssa knew she had a lot of catching up to do on Thursday, her day off, when she heard that. She really wanted to spend more time with Michael's kids.

“I suppose I did. I want to hear all about it later.” She turned to the blonde. “Anyway, I'd like you to meet my business partner and friend, Stacey. Stacey, these are Michael's children, Paris, Blanket and Prince.”

‘Aww Michael has such adorable children.’ She shook hands with each of them. Lissie was impressed that Blanket didn't act very shy with Anastasia. He was the first one to extend his hand for a handshake. His father really taught him well.

When Stacey heard someone say, “Blanket, that's the wrong hand you're shaking with” she nearly jumped out of her skin. She wasn't expecting that. The voice was familiar...that same gentle, tenor voice. It meant Lissie was not kidding. She looked up, and saw the King of Pop standing three feet away from her. The same pale skin, the same longish ebony colored hair...just about everything she saw of him on television. Only he was dressed in casual clothing. She wondered if this was some kind of dream. She realized that there was more to him than she believed.

All of a sudden, Anastasia was a little nervous, and she was also starstruck. She couldn't believe she was in the home of the King of Pop. She thought his home was very beautiful, with all the paintings that hung on the wall. She hoped she wouldn't die of heart failure while speaking to him. ‘Who knew his actual presence would have this sort of effect on me?’

Blanket looked sort of sheepish. “Oops, I forgot.”

“It's okay.”

“Hey there Michael, I'm back from work. Meet my friend and business partner, Anastasia,” Lissie told the pop superstar.

“Hi, how are you?”

Stacey regained her composure. “I am good, thank you very much,” she replied, giving the veteran musician a handshake. She thought he was as nice as he appeared to be on TV. She could see why Lissie had such a love for him. Though she wasn't a particular big fan of the music, she thought he was a good person. She wouldn't mind having him as a friend. But for now she had to get going. She had to try and clean up her bedroom, which was a sty.

“Sorry to leave so quickly, but I got to go. My bedroom won't clean up itself, unfortunately.”

Michael couldn't help but laugh a bit at that. He knew the feeling all too well, when he was her age. Then he looked serious. “Well, all right. Take care of yourself.”

“That I will. See you later, maybe.” She let herself out the front door.

“So how was your day?” Michael asked Alyssa.

“Busy, but good. Except that my car broke down before I came home, so Stacey had to bring me home.”

“Oh no. Well, it's good that you got home safely.” It looked like she would have to use one of his chauffeurs, but that was not a problem. After all, it was his job to see to it that she had everything she needed.

“You're still interested in watching my rehearsals?” asked the pop icon. “I’d understand if you wanna rest.”

“You bet.”


	10. Chapter 10

Over the next couple of weeks, the friendship between Michael and Alyssa became stronger. One thing Michael noticed with Lissie was that she was a little like him, personality wise, and they had quite a bit in common. Except that she was a little less patient, and a little more serious than he was. He knew that he vowed to never put himself in a vulnerable position ever again, but he didn't have any regrets about opening up his home to her. Although he had never invited an adult (other than the parents of the kids' he entertained to his home) before, as well as a couple of fellow celebrities, he actually thought it was refreshing to have an adult staying over at his home for a change. To this day, he was still appalled at how out of control the Arviso family had become. He mentally kicked himself for not being there to stop it until the situation spun out of control. Sure, some of the children he invited over in the past were hyperactive at times, but they did not go as far as thinking it was fun to destroy things. The whole fiasco with the Arviso family reminded him how ugly and cruel mankind could be...and these were people he thought he could trust. But somehow, Lissie gained his trust rather easily, considering that the events leading up to the five month trial had made him more wary. When they had their first one on one conversation before she moved in, he could see she was not like the traitors he dealt with in the past. Although she was a young adult, he could see the face of God through her. As far as the singer could tell, the young woman didn't want anything from him, only to give him her love and support, and he was glad to oblige that. He related to people like her the most, since he only wanted to be loved for his music and who he was. Unfortunately, there were not too many adults like that, so he valued her support of him very much. He felt blessed that he found an adult—a young adult, but an adult nonetheless—with the virtues of only wanting love and friendship. She was like a daughter to him, like a little sister, almost. She thought he was like a second father to her, and an older brother, to an extent.

The King of Pop was waiting for Alyssa to return home from checking the mail. She had been gone for a tad longer than usual. Also, it would be time to leave for the second rehearsal in about thirty-five minutes, and he had a question for her. He certainly hoped the paparazzi wasn't bothering her or anything. That was a fear of his ever since she had been staying at the mansion. He didn't want her to go through the same harassment he did. She was a normal person, but she was more or less associated with him now, so that wouldn't stop the press from hounding her and making up one of their ridiculous, disgusting stories. For her protection, he advised her to be careful whenever she had to leave the house. He was glad she understood, but he didn't want to make her feel like a prisoner or anything. So he had an outing planned for that Saturday—to Disneyland, for her, Prince, Paris and Blanket. He had promised they would do an amusement park. Bodyguards would have to come to keep the paparazzi and stuff away, but that was all right. It was the only other option besides putting on a disguise, and he didn't feel like doing that this time.

At that moment, Michael heard the front door open and shut. He hoped it was Lissie. He felt a sense of relief when he heard someone call, “I'm back, Michael! I'll be with you in a little bit!” This meant Lissie was back.

“Okay!” he called back.

Lissie, with the mail in her hand, walked up the stairs and into her bedroom, dumping it on her bed. It was her day off, so she had time to relax. She took a look at the mail...a letter from her New York best friend, Shannon and a care package of some sort, also from Shannon, even though she wasn't the only one who put it together. She was glad to finally get a return letter from Shannon. She was worried that something had happened...that it was more than just a busy schedule. She ripped open the envelope and proceeded to read the letter. It read:

Dear Lissie,

I am sorry for responding so late. Things were a bit crazy that week you first sent the letter, and I was feeling too lazy to actually write anything, until now. I hope you can forgive me. I didn't forget you. My kids came down with the swine flu and were sick for awhile. They're recovering slowly but steadily.

Sounds like you're having a great time. I was shocked to hear that you are now living with Michael Jackson. You're so lucky! That was really sweet of him. It must be your dream come true. Oooh, I wish it were me. Is he treating you like you're special? Are you having fun with him and the kids? I want to hear all about it!

Aside from my kids being sick, I am holding up all right. I miss you so much, but I am doing what I can to keep busy. Taking care of the house, spending time with our friends and my husband, and church activities uses up most of my time but nothing could compensate for you being gone. You're one of the best friends I ever had. I cannot wait to see you at Michael's concert in July...I am not sure if I can wait until then to see you.

I gotta run now. The kids are screaming at me to bring them a snack. Write back soon!

Love always,

your best friend Shannon.

P.S I hope you like the care package. There is a little something inside that I think you will like very much! gives shifty eyes

 

Laughing a bit, Alyssa folded the paper. She would respond to the letter later that day, like bed time or so. She was curious about what was inside the care package, what had Shannon think about having shifty eyes. ‘The girl can be so devious sometimes, it’s creepy.’ She opened the large box. Inside it were cards, snapshots of Shannon...some with her alone, some group photos, and some with her and the kids. There was also a box of homemade carob brownies, made by Shannon. She knew how much Lissie liked them. There was also Starburst and a book. She looked at it and it was.....a Michael Jackson related book. She was somewhat amused, and pleasantly surprised. She looked to see which one it was and she was amazed to see that it was the Michael Jackson Conspiracy book. ‘Gee, it’s almost as if Shannon reads my mind…she’s always getting me gifts I have on my mental wish list. Does she have ESP or something?’ She had heard about the book, and had thoughts about checking it out, but she hadn't gotten around to buying it yet. Now she didn't have to. She put it aside to read for later. She looked forward to seeing how revealing it was and how harsh Aphrodite Jones and Tom Mesereau were when they excoriated the media. She hadn't got around to reading Moonwalk yet, but she hadn't forgotten about it. She looked forward to reading that, too. It would be interesting to know what the King of Pop, Rock and Soul had said for himself what wasn't already said in the interviews.

Alyssa covered the box, and left the room to spend time with Michael. She would be leaving very shortly with him to watch him rehearse. She enjoyed his company so much. He was so down to earth, very kind and very funny, regardless of the rubbish that was said of him in the media and tabloids. And she was especially pleased both of them were trying their hardest to make time to hang out, despite the fact that they both had busy days. It was nice of him to ask her to watch his rehearsals, otherwise, her time to spend with him would have been limited. She definitely wanted to spend time with the children, too. They were like younger siblings to her. She went to the library where the singer was sitting in an easy chair, reading one of his leather bound classics.

“Hey,” the 23 year old greeted, sitting in the chair that was facing Michael.

“Hey,” answered the pop star. He placed a book mark in the book and put it aside. There was something he had wanted to ask her ever since he heard that she was a fan of his music. He wasn't exactly embarrassed by the question, since it was nothing extremely private. And she was pretty open. He just didn't figure out how to phrase the question...until now.

“So...are you good at singing?” Michael asked. He spoke a bit slowly, as if he felt bad about asking such a question.

For a moment, Lissie was a little taken aback. She wondered what brought this on, why he was asking her that. ‘Please don’t tell me he wants me to sing for him. What if he thinks my soprano voice is horrible, especially in comparison with his powerful tenor voice?’ But she could tell that he wasn’t joking, by his facial expression. “Well...sort of. Enough people told me that I am, but quite frankly I think my singing voice is only decent, to say the least.” The young woman felt a little self-conscious, she didn't want to brag.

Michael had the feeling she was being rather tough on herself, that she was being very modest. He really wanted to hear her voice. He wasn't ashamed to ask her to do it, since they were not on camera or anything. And he was the only one in the library.

“Would you mind if I asked you to sing something for me?”

Lissie felt a little shy all of a sudden. She didn't think he would make fun of her or anything like that. She just didn't know if he would like it or not. “Me?”

“Of course. Of course, if you don't want to, that's ok. ”

“No no, it's nothing like that. Of course I don't mind. Just give me a minute to think of something I can do Acappella.” That would be a little tough since she always preferred to sing along with the singers of the CDs she owned. One thing was for certain, she wasn't going to make a fool of herself by singing one of his songs when she didn't know most of them by heart. She feared she would just butcher them. Suddenly, a song came to her, one of her favorite devotional songs. She just hoped that her voice didn't go weird on her while she did it. That would be really bad. She cleared her throat, and she began to sing:

I'm forgiven because you were forsaken  
I'm accepted, You were condemned  
I'm alive and well  
Your spirit is within me  
Because you died and rose again

I'm forgiven because you were forsaken  
I'm accepted, you were condemned  
I'm alive and well  
Your spirit is within me  
Because you died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be?  
That you, my king. would die for me  
Amazing love, I know it's true  
It’s my joy to honor you  
Amazing love how can it be?  
That my king would die for me  
Amazing love I know it's true  
It’s my joy to honor you  
In all I do  
I honor you

 

You are my king  
You are my king  
Jesus, You are my king  
Jesus, You are my king

 

That was all Alyssa sung, but to her relief, she made it through. All she needed to do was relax. If Michael thought she sounded horrible, at least she had the satisfaction knowing that she did her best.

Much to her astonishment, that was not what the pop musician thought. In fact, he liked her singing. She would do well if she were to become a singer. “That was beautiful,” he told her.

Lissie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was tempted to ask him if he really thought so, but she decided not to. She knew he wasn't the type to give a compliment like that when he didn't mean it, and he spoke from the heart. “Well thank you,” she said, smiling a bit shyly. “I'm glad you think so.”

 

“You're welcome. So is that your favorite spiritual song?”

“One of them.”

“Oh. That's cool.” The superstar considered that for a moment. He had thoughts about performing one of his songs that had a spiritual message, like Heal the World. He could use another soprano. He wondered if maybe she would like to sing with the choir that sang towards the end. He wasn't sure how she would respond to being in the spotlight for that moment. “Umm...so would you like to be in the choir for my song Heal the World if I perform it at any of the London concerts?”

‘Oh my gosh! I must be dreaming. Did he really just ask me to sing with him?’ It was pretty shocking of him to give that offer. She didn't think she was that good. But if he thought so, who was she to contradict him? After all, he was one of the best, if not THE best entertainer in the world. And it would be a real honor to do this with him. That meant she didn't have to just watch the rehearsals...she would get to do something at times. But she didn't want him to know how excited she was about this. Watching was nice, but she was someone who played her cool when being the center of attention for things like this. She just hoped she wouldn't have to deal with the same crap that Michael did, just for a minor role like this. But she knew she would have him by her side in rough times.

“You mean you want me to sing with you?” she asked a bit incredulously.

“Yes. That I do. I believe you can do it. And you won't need voice lessons, either. ”

“Sure I'd love to! Thank you for asking.” She gave the musician a quick hug. Not too tightly, as she wasn't sure if he could handle it that day or not. She would have to look up the lyrics on-line, but that was okay. She then remembered something. What if he also asked her to be one of his dancers? She couldn't dance to save her life. And she didn't want to make him and the other performers look bad. She'd better tell him...and fast. “Just so you know, I don't have good dancing skills.”

“All right. Don't worry about it.” The middle-aged pop king looked at his watch. It was about time to get going. “You ready to go?”

“Yup,” answered Lissie. She and Michael left the library together. She was looking forward to another rehearsal. There was never a dull moment, with Michael and the other people always making jokes and laughing whenever there was an in between break.

________________________________________

Meanwhile, Alison was cleaning up her room. She was playing Michael Jackson's History album and singing along with the song D.S at the top of her lungs. Her parents didn't really like her to listen to the songs other than “Heal the World” and “We Are the World” because they were very strict, and they thought it was wrong for Christians to listen to pop music. They thought secular music was bad for the spiritual life. She just barely talked them into allowing her to listening to the secular songs that had spiritual meaning. But since they weren't home at the moment, she decided to sneak and listen to the song. The 17 year old didn't feel guilty doing it, as she found the rule to be utterly ridiculous. There was nothing wrong with the song. It wasn't like Michael was promoting evil or anything. She would be 18 in a week. She couldn't wait to get out of the house...so she could explore who she really was, and not who her parents wanted her to be...and she would have a chance to loosen up, too. She was about to take out the garbage when all of a sudden, Allen, her 11 year old younger brother burst into her bedroom. She let out a groan. ‘What does this little brat want now?’ “Um...Allen, I thought you were watching Drake and Josh. What brings you here?”

“I can't hear the show with all that racket going on. You can't sing for crap! And when will you realize that Michael Jackson is too old for you? He's old enough to be your father. Stop crushing on him, you'll never have him! What, you want him to go to jail for being a pervert? I thought you loved him to death!”

Oh boy. There he went with the merciless teasing again. Seriously, he could be such a nuisance. Even so, she was trying to keep her temper, which could be very, VERY nasty when she's provoked. Her parents were always reprimanding her about that, even though their tempers could be as bad when someone pushed them farther than ever pushed before.

“Listen here, unless you have something intelligent to say, get lost! Can't you see that I'm trying to clean here?” The dark haired girl was extremely exasperated. The boy had no respect for people's privacy. Not to mention she was missing her favorite song.

The annoying little squirt smirked at his older sister. He got a pleasure out of seeing that he got under her skin. Exactly what he wanted.

“I am. You're just too concerned with yourself to see it.” He snatched up the CD booklet and held it up high. “Come and get it,” he teased.

That did it. Alison was trying her best to keep her temper, but he was trying her patience. She snatched the booklet away from him. “Get out of here!” she insisted.

Allen decided to test her some more. “Make me!”

“I gladly will.” She rested the booklet down and literally carried the boy out of the room. He looked at her, stunned. He didn't expect her to do that. But it didn't stop him from wanting to tease her some more.

“And stay out!” She reentered the room and slammed the door shut.

Allen ran off, saying “Alison's in love, Alison's in love” in a singsong voice.

The teen girl simply ignored him, but her patience was thin. She gave an exasperated sigh. Not only had she missed the rest of her favorite song, but she didn't feel like cleaning anymore. Her pesky brother killed everything. But she knew that she had to finish cleaning. She pressed the repeat button and resumed cleaning. Midway through the song, she heard footsteps coming towards her room. She hoped it wasn't her little brother again, coming to do more tormenting. Things could get very ugly if that were the case. She turned off the music, just in case it was her parents.

“Allie?” an older woman's voice called.

She was right. Her parents were back. It was her mom's voice. She wondered what she wanted. She cracked the door open.

“Yes?”

“Didn't your father and I tell you that those secular Michael Jackson songs are rotting your brain and harming your spiritual health?” she asked a little bit sternly.

Oh great. Her mother's lecture again. She was tired of hearing them. “Yes? So?”

“Keep listening to them behind our backs and you will not be allowed to attend the This Is It concerts. Am I clear?”

Alison looked like she thought her mother had lost her mind. She couldn't be serious. Her parents had reluctantly allowed her to get tickets for the special event as a birthday present to her, and here they were, treating her like a child again.

“Yeah, yeah. I understand.”

“Good.” With that, her mother left. She decided to let the rather insolent way her daughter spoke to her slide. All she knew was that if she kept up with the insubordination, the girl would suffer the consequences.

As ridiculous as her parents’ rules were, Alison decided she didn't care anymore. She would be eighteen in a week and would be out of the house before the concerts began. ‘They won’t be telling me what to do anymore.’ Little did her parents know, she had gotten a scholarship to go to a school in England, as well as a part time job. She had been planning very carefully to free herself from her parents' control. She was to be on her way to England two days after her birthday. And she couldn't wait for the concerts. Sure, listening to the King of Pop speak about his lupus story was nice, but it would be much cooler to see him live in concert.

 

________________________________________

Later that night, Alyssa was ready for bed. But she was still wide awake, so she decided to reply to Shannon's letter, just as she planned. And hopefully read some of the Michael Jackson Conspiracy book. She got a sheet of paper, and sat at her desk. She picked up her pen, and wrote:

Hi Shannon!

Sorry that your children were sick. I am glad they're feeling better, though. They're on my prayer list. You bet I am having a good time here. Michael is such a sweetie and so much fun to be around. He is like a second father to me, and he is treating me like family. Met Latoya and Janet as well. They were pretty nice, too. And guess what? He asked me to sing Heal the World with him, be a part of the choir that sings toward the end of the song. Really wasn't expecting that, but he liked my singing. And his kids are so adorable, and so sweet. Prince is really funny.

Thank you so much for the care package, especially the book. Will read it after I am done with this letter.

I miss you a lot, too. I am glad you are holding up all right. I can't wait to see you at the London concerts. In the meantime, take care of yourself. Write again soon.

Love always,

Lissie.

That done, she got the book to read. Luckily, she was still focused on reading stuff. She read through the author's notes, the forward, and the first few chapters. She was amazed by what she read. It was extremely revealing, and full of stuff that she never thought possible. It made her disrespect for the media grow stronger. She suspected that the media got the pleasure out of ruining the lives of celebrities for their gain, and after reading those chapters, she knew that's what it was. And she was glad that she and Michael were not alone with the suspicions of the media and tabloid's true motives. And as for the Arviso family? She now knew that they were sleazier than she thought. She was a bit stunned, but not really so much. After all, they had a history of lying for money, so who knows what else they were capable of? She applauded Michael for distancing himself from them. She was only sorry that he had to go through so much heartache because they chose to be vengeful maniacs. She knew that Michael was very tolerant, so when he reached to the point where he wanted to cut ties with someone, the person must be really bad. Which they were. The kids apparently had no respect for people and their property. She was especially sorry to know that one of the Arviso brothers had destroyed the singer's guest book. She imagined that must have been one of his cherished items. ‘At least I know what gift to get him for Father’s Day.’ She had been pondering what to get him, as she wanted the gift to be special. Well, she would surprise him with a new guestbook. She still had most of her money although she sent her biological father a present 2 weeks ago. She would buy the gift the next day and surprise Michael with it that Sunday.


	11. Chapter 11

Late that Saturday morning, Alyssa was getting dressed. It was the day she would be going to Disneyland with Michael and his children. She was so looking forward to it. She hadn't done anything like that in awhile and she had never been to Disneyland before, although she had been to Disney World a couple of times. She knew that it featured some of Disney World's rides, and she was curious to see if the Disneyland's version of the rides were any different. She even did most of her cleaning the night before so she would not have to do too much before getting dressed. 

‘Oh man, I wish Shannon could have come with us.’ She had called her New York best friend to see if she could come down for the weekend, but she had said she couldn’t make it, even though she desperately wanted to come. ‘There’s always a next time, I guess.’ That was what she wanted to believe, but she wasn’t sure when it would happen again since Michael was busy preparing for the tour and probably needed his rest. It showed how unselfish he was to plan this outing, considering he didn’t go out in public very often. ‘I can only imagine what it would be like once we go out there. People will be stopping us, asking for his autograph and asking him to dance, as well as paparazzi.’ She rolled her eyes at the thought of them. It was times like this she wished Michael still lived at Neverland. She felt guilty about accepting his willingness to make what seemed like a supreme sacrifice, but she knew better than to refuse his generosity, considering that precautions would be taken. ‘I hope the bodyguards will be enough to keep the crazy fans and paparazzi away.’ She decided to put her worries aside and just enjoy the outing.

Alyssa put on some sunscreen lotion. It would be hotter than usual that day, and though she was dressed in an outfit that was relatively cool and her hair was piled up on top of her head, she still felt the heat. She didn't have to worry about the sun rays destroying her skin like Michael did, but she still felt that limiting the sun exposure as much as possible would pay off. No one was immune to skin cancer.

That done, Lissie got her backpack purse and ran downstairs. She went into the living room. Michael was there, sitting on the couch. He looked as sharp and dignified as he usually did. He was dressed in a red long-sleeved shirt and black jeans. He was also wearing sunglasses, but they were resting on top of his head at the moment. She figured they were another necessity to protect himself from sun rays and florescent lighting, but she knew that he didn't use that kind of lighting in his home. So she guessed it was also worn partially for a personal style. Though she liked the shades, she also liked the occasions where he showed off those deep brown eyes of his. She thought they were very beautiful. He must have been waiting for his kids, as she could hear them getting ready while she was walking downstairs. She sat next to him.

“You're all ready, I see,” observed the pop icon.

“That I am.”

“Are you ready for a fun time today?”

“You bet,” replied Lissie, grinning. But deep down she was still a little bit worried about how things would go, how they would escape screaming fans and paparazzi and reporters. She wouldn't put it past the media if they wanted coverage of this event. She knew how nosy they were. It seemed like they never learned. Judging from the look on Michael's face, she could see that he was also excited about this, and she also thought she saw a wistful look as well. ‘It’s obvious he misses these theme parks more than he lets on.’ She wondered if there was something else that happened during the arrest 6 years ago he wasn't telling her. Knowing his reclusive nature, she decided there probably was. Though she knew he trusted her enough to tell her if she asked him about it, she didn't feel like asking him. Not then. She almost asked him how he planned for them to get past the people that hindered him, but she didn't want him to think she didn't trust him.

“Great. Well, so am I.” Aside from avoiding being mobbed, the singer hoped the Aleve would work as well as it had been working so far, so his back would hold up throughout the thrill rides. He knew that one of the precautions for some of them was to not ride on them if you had a weak back, which he had. He'd had trouble with it since at least the time of the first set of sexual molestation allegations, but it got worse ever since he'd hurt it on one of the days of the trial. And now he was at the age where people usually got arthritis...he so wasn't looking forward to that. ‘Then again, I may just skip the thrill rides, just to be safe.’

Just then, Lissie and Michael heard three sets of legs thundering down the steps. Lissie hoped the kids were ready. She thought the sooner they got to Disneyland, they could beat the crowd. She looked up and was relieved to see that it was Paris, Prince and Blanket. Their faces were concealed with masks, just as she saw in pictures of them. She thought it was a smart move on their part, considering how nasty and intrusive the paparazzi and press could be.

“Hey Dad, we're ready!” said Prince excitedly. He was wearing a Mickey Mouse cap on his head.

“Good.”

Just then, Michael's nanny entered the living room. “Mr. Jackson, the cooler is in the car,” she told him.

“Okay,” replied the singer.

Alyssa was just about to go and get her thermos to fill with cool water. Now she didn't have to.

“Well, let's go, shall we?” Michael slid the shades onto his face so they were on properly. He exited the mansion with Alyssa, Prince, Paris and Blanket behind him. Outside was pretty sunny. Lissie was happy about that, as she was worried the weather would not be sunny like the weatherman predicted.

 

________________________________________

Abigail's mother was calling her to see if she wanted some tea. Abigail didn't answer. Worried, Mrs. Churchill decided she had better check up on her daughter. Abby had a hard time keeping her meals down for a couple of days, until that morning. She was feeling a bit better, but not well enough to join everyone for breakfast. The older woman ran up the stairs and raced into Abigail's room. Abigail was on the floor, her skin an unhealthy greenish-yellow color. She had collapsed a little while ago. Her mother checked her pulse. There was one in her carotid artery, but it was fading. Horrified, she dialed 911. Driving her to hospital wasn't an option.

“Hello, how can I help you?” answered a crisp woman's voice.

“It's my daughter. She has collapsed and her skin is a greenish yellow color.”

“How old is your daughter?”

Mrs. Churchill wondered what did it matter, but she knew better than to ask that. “She's 15.”

“Is she breathing?”

“Yes, but it is labored.”

“Is she conscious?”

“No, she isn't, and her pulse is fading.”

“All right, then. I will send help right away. In the meantime, I want you to keep her warm and make her comfortable.”

“All right. Thank you very much.” Mrs. Churchill hung up. She had no help as her husband was at the office for a meeting, and he wouldn't be able to take calls. She would have to page him or something...but that would have to wait. She cleared her mind, took a few breaths and tried to keep calm, although she was scared. She put Abigail's bedroom slippers on her feet, and got her robe, blanket and pillow. It was difficult for her to place the pillow and blanket under her, since she was trying not to move her, but she did it. While she waited, she called her husband's cellphone number and left a message on his voicemail regarding what was going on. She sat and waited for the ambulance to arrive. She hoped it wouldn't take too long to come, as Abby looked like she was barely clinging to life. She talked softly to Abby, telling her that everything would be all right. As she was talking, she was trying to convince herself as well. This was the sickest the red-head ever looked since she was diagnosed with her lupus.

At that very moment, Abby's mom heard a vehicle outside. She looked through the curtains and saw the ambulance backing in the driveway. ‘Right in the nick of time.' She went downstairs and opened the door. Two paramedics entered the house with a stretcher.

“Right this way. Follow me.”

The paramedics followed Mrs. Churchill upstairs, and into Abby's bedroom.

“Is that your daughter?” one of the men asked, pointing to the disheveled form that was Abby.

“Yes it is.”

The paramedic looked at Abby, and frowned slightly. He didn't like what he saw. “It looks like a severe case of hepatitis. How has her appetite been leading up to this?”

The mother filled him in on all the gory details. He nodded thoughtfully. “I see,” he said, furrowing his brow a bit. “Well, it certainly sounds serious. She should have medical attention immediately. You were right to call for help when you did.”

The paramedic gently removed the girl off the floor and placed her in supine position on the stretcher. The other paramedic helped take her downstairs and outside. She was placed inside the ambulance. One of the paramedics placed an oxygen mask over her face and a breathing tube down her throat. He turned to Mrs. Churchill. “Ma'am, you may come along if you please. “

Abby's mother nodded, and got inside the ambulance as well. She wanted to be by her daughter's side. The doors closed and the ambulance driver sped to Ronald Raegan UCLA Medical Center. The siren wailed as well. Mrs. Churchill held Abby's hand during the entire journey to the hospital. Her hand was still warm, which was a relief. If she could just make it through the evaluations and necessary procedures all right, everything would be perfect. She didn't know what she would do if Abby had died, as she was an only child.

 

________________________________________

Michael, the kids and Alyssa finally made it to Disneyland. Lissie stood and waited with the kids while the singer bought the admission tickets. Lissie glanced around the massive theme park. So far, it wasn't too bad in terms of the amount of people. They did a good job beating the crowd thus far. And there didn't seem to be any paparazzi or reporters around, either. However, one never knows, since they were good at hiding and popping out when people least expected. For all they knew, they might be hiding in the bathrooms or something. Michael wasn't taking any chances. In fact, the two bodyguards stood with him while he paid.

The plan was to spend time at Fantasyland and Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom. The Tomorrowland part sounded very good to Prince, because there was a ride based on one of his favorites movies there. He hoped there would be time to ride it. Also, he wanted to see if there would be time to watch chosen children perform Star Wars fights on the Tomorrowland Terrace. He'd have to see what happens, take it one attraction at a time. That was how his dad did it anyway, just so there would not be too many disappointments.

Michael was done paying for the tickets and he asked his kids and Lissie if they were ready.

“You bet!”

“Now whose hand can I hold?” he asked.

Of course, Alyssa wanted to, but she also knew that Paris would want to as well. They did a little bit of negotiating, and it was decided. Paris held Michael's right hand, and Alyssa held the other one. It felt so nice. She was tempted to hold it more tightly but she didn't want to seem too obsessed, too eager. Besides, she was a little more reserved in comparison with most of the other fangirls. They walked to Magic Kingdom together. The bodyguards stayed close by so they would be able to get by ordinary people with very little problems. Luckily, no one bombarded them. Soon, they arrived at Tomorrowland, and began to contemplate what to do first.

“So what would you like to do first?” asked Michael.

“I wanna ride Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage,” said Paris. 

Blanket, who had been fairly quiet, agreed.

“Okay.” The pop musician glanced at Prince and Alyssa. “Is that okay with you two?”

To tell the truth, Lissie wanted to ride Space Mountain, but she didn't mind waiting. Not to mention that they would be in this particular division of Magic Kingdom for quite awhile. Same with Prince, he was desperate to go on Star Tours ride, but he could wait, too. Besides, he loved water rides. They both nodded their okay.

“Let's go, then.” Everyone made their way to the ride's entrance. They heard the sounds of seagulls, going “mine, mine, mine” as they went. Lissie tried her best to ignore them. She knew that most animals couldn't talk. She was wondering if she was just hearing things. But she knew what she heard. No one else seemed to think anything of it, though, and if they were, they didn't show it. At least not right away.

When the sound was faint, she saw Prince stifle a laugh. He only could be laughing at the idea of a seagull talking. He couldn't be too deep in thought, though, as they had arrived at the ride's destination.  
The line was pretty long. And there was a yellow colored vehicle, namely a submarine. Lissie always felt nervous about going on things like that, as it was one of those rides where you really had to watch your step. And she couldn't swim.

'Oh great,' thought Lissie. It wasn't that she was worried about how she would get on, really. But it was the length of the line what made her feel slightly unsettled. At that moment, her feet were killing her. From the length of the line, it looked like there would be at least a 35 minute wait. She didn't think her feet could take that much longer. ‘Well, this ride had better be worth it, is all I gotta say.' She was in for a surprise. Apparently there was no waiting to be done. Was not something she was expecting. So when Michael said, “Come on, let's go” to her and his children, she was a little bit confused.

“It's been set so we don't have to do any waiting,” he explained.

Oh. So that was it. She wasn't sure if Michael specifically had a hand in this to avoid paparazzi and rabid fans, or if this was just done because he was a superstar, but either way, she wasn't complaining. That meant she wouldn’t have to stand up for long periods of time. She left the line with Michael and his kids. The two bodyguards were right behind her. They would be coming on the rides too just in case one of the female fans on the ride decided to go berserk. All the people were whispering certain stuff, most likely about how lucky the ordinary young woman was to be on a trip to Disneyland with the King of Pop. Whatever it was, she didn't really care. She didn't have time to worry about it.

The ride's attendant was a young man, presumably a college student. “Watch your step,” he warned.

Lissie thought that was easier said than done. She was still a little bit scared. Michael, the children and bodyguards got on, and Michael took Lissie's hand and helped her on. She was soooo grateful to him. She thought he was a lifesaver. She thanked him.

“You're welcome,” he answered warmly.

A few more people stepped onto the submarine vehicle, and the attendant showed everyone their seats. Alyssa was seated next to Michael and Blanket. Fine with her.

Little by little, more people entered the submarine. Soon, the sub was filled. The captain welcomed everyone on board, and gave a little speech.

“This ride will take you on an underwater adventure where you will see all of the sea creatures featured in Finding Nemo, as well as the ocean floor itself. This ride is fifteen minutes in length. Be sure to stay seated throughout this entire ride. I hope you enjoy.”

Lissie had to admit, this sounded like a cool ride. She saw the movie Finding Nemo six years ago, though she vaguely recalled what happened. She thought there was no better way to refresh her memory than to go on a ride named after it. Also, it would give her another chance to ride a submarine again. She had ridden it once before, in fifth grade, lo those many years ago. It was a very enjoyable experience for her, especially since the trip kept getting postponed because of bad weather. Boy, was that such a bummer, so when she finally got to go, she was happy. She was so glad she didn't get sea sick.

The middle-aged driver started up the engine, and the submarine left the dock. The sub first traveled slowly, and then the driver put on a bit of speed. Lissie felt like she was part of an underwater volcano, as well as watching the movie all over again. The captain guided the guests through the ride. The name Darla rang a bell, but as for the rest, she needed to refresh her memory. Alyssa decided to pay attention to see if he could do a good job jogging her memory. It was a little bit scary when a pod of large humpback whales swallowed the submarine. Lissie tried to remain calm, as she knew Blanket was next to her and she didn't want to scare him or his siblings. She convinced herself that she would come off the ride okay. ‘The whale must have skipped breakfast.’

Michael, Prince and Paris were pretending to be afraid. They were like, “Oh my God, oh my God, I'm gonna die! Save me!”

Lissie nearly burst out laughing, but she fought to keep a serious face. It was hard to hold back her laughter, though. She knew they were being silly, and they knew there was really nothing to the ride. It was just for fun, nothing more.

However, Blanket was so scared that he got sick. He made a mess on the floor. 

‘This is so not good.’ Lissie got out of the way in time.

Fortunately, Blanket’s sudden sickness caught the attention of his family members. “Oh Blanket!” cried Paris. She asked the captain for a plastic bag just in case it happened again.

The captain took a look at the little boy, and got a bag from the front. He handed it to Paris. “Here you go, young lady.”

“Thank you so much, Mr. Captain.” The 11 year old handed Blanket the bag. He used it a couple of times. Michael talked softly to him.

Soon, the ride was over. Blanket was a little bit shaken, but otherwise fine. One by one, people exited the submarine.

“Thanks for riding!” the captain said to each of them.

“So what do you think?” the singer asked Lissie.

“Slightly scary, but otherwise fun,” she answered. Paris and Prince agreed with her.

Michael looked at his watch. It was a quarter till eleven. An hour and fifteen minutes from lunch, which would be at Redd Rockett's Pizza Port.

“So what's next?” he asked.

“Star Tours and the arcade, and Tomorrowland Terrace, if we have time,” piped up Prince.

That wasn't such a surprise to Michael as he knew how much his son loved those things. He didn't mind playing a video game himself.

“What about you? Anything you'd like to do in particular?” This time the pop star was referring to Alyssa. He was making sure she was having fun.

“Not really...just Space Mountain,” she answered, “and Peter Pan's Flight, when we get to Fantasyland, which I am sure you want to ride as well.”

“Oh yeah.” The young woman knew him all too well. But these latest requests were ones that could fit. There was an arcade that was near Space Mountain's exit, so they could go right after riding Space Mountain. The plan was laid out. First Star Tours, then Space Mountain, then the arcade. Tomorrowland Terrace could be done after lunch, since eating before going on thrill rides was never a good idea.

________________________________________

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Abigail was in ICU. She had partially regained her consciousness, which was good. But her skin was still an unhealthy green. Doctors had done tests to see why that was, so they could clarify it was liver-related. Abby's parents were sitting in the waiting room. They were praying long and hard that everything would turn out all right. But they were anxious to know what was wrong.

Just then, a doctor came into the waiting room with the test results. He had a grim look on his face. The Churchill's didn't like the looks of that expression. It meant the problem was serious, just as they feared. They were somewhat afraid of asking, but were prepared to hear the news so they could do what they need to do to deal with this situation.

“I have some bad news for you,” the doctor began. “Your daughter's lupus has deteriorated, and has caused liver failure. Unfortunately, it is inoperable. Also, she suffered cardiac arrest as a result of the pacemaker not working, so she'll need it replaced.”

The mother nearly started crying at the news, but she caught herself. “What else can be done?”

“Well, she will need a liver transplant, but that cannot happen right away, as you have to find a matching donor and it will be an expensive operation. For now, we can strengthen her steroid dosage, something we don't want to do, because of the effects. But under the circumstances, it is the only option for the moment. However, the chance of that helping is 50/50. “

For a moment, the parents didn't know what to do. Neither of them made much money. Unless, maybe they could contact Michael Jackson somehow. He was always helping underprivileged people, especially when the kids were in dire situations like this. They knew that Abby was enamored with him, and she spoke highly of him. And they appreciated him inviting her to the banquet 3 weeks ago. The friend Abby spoke of a lot was staying with him, so that increased their chances.

“Can we see her?” the father asked.

“Go ahead,” said the doctor. “Do not stay long, though.”

Mr. and Mrs. Churchill entered the ICU. There Abby was, hooked up to a bunch of machines. She looked so lifeless and frail. If it weren't for her eyes opened, they would have thought she was dead, as her eyes had no life in them. The sight was too much for the mother to handle, and so she left the hospital room.

Mr. Churchill held Abby's hand. “Oh, my poor baby. Understand that we love you very much, and we always will. I know you can make it.” He noticed that his wife was no longer in the room. He kissed Abby on the forehead and left to find her.

________________________________________

It was nearly five o'clock by the time Michael, his children and Alyssa were done with Fantasyland. It was soon time for dinner.

“So what do you say we head home?” he asked the kids.

Lissie sort of expected them to beg to stay, but to her surprise, they didn't.

“Okay. Let's go, Daddy,” said Paris.

All in all, Lissie thought this was a huge success. There were a few fans that stopped Michael to talk to him, but with the bodyguards around it was not as hectic a scene as she was accustomed to seeing on television. She was looking forward to surprising him with the gift the next day. She did a good job keeping quiet about it; she thought it would be fun to surprise him. She was sure he'd appreciate it.


	12. Chapter 12

The next day was Father's Day, just what Alyssa was waiting for. She knew that doing something special like going somewhere for lunch was out of the question, because of the publicity and stuff. The day before wasn't too bad, but they might not be so lucky next time. But it was okay with her. She didn't mind relaxing at the mansion. After all, she couldn't very well do that if she were out. She just wanted to spend the day showing him how special he was, and she could do that at home just as well as anywhere else. She was dying to give Michael the present she had for him. She had been tempted to give it to him the night before, but she thought that would ruin the surprise. The young woman was in for a surprise herself. Michael had let her know that he and the kids would be going to church with her. He had noticed that she went faithfully ever since she was living with him, and he thought it was admirable. Also he wanted his children to get in the habit of learning the same spiritual values he was raised to have, which he'd been doing ever since they were old enough to understand. Although he had stopped being a Jehovah Witness, he still went to church on rare occasions, whenever he felt he could brave the paparazzi and such. Last time he went was with comedian Steve Harvey once, when he was invited to First AME Church about 5 years ago. This would give him a chance to learn more about Christianity. He loved studying, though that wasn't why he was going. ‘If the media only knew about this…I would hate to imagine how the media would spin it.’ 

Alyssa was totally on board with that, as it was perfectly safe. She wasn't worried. After all, they were going to a church service. What could her friends who were fans possibly do to him there? ‘I can’t wait to see the look on Terri’s face...she’d faint.’

She took the gift with her as she went downstairs. She had just come out of the shower and was now ready. She had told Michael that she had something for him. During breakfast she noticed he wasn't quite as energetic as he usually was. She hoped he was feeling all right. She was looking forward to seeing what present Paris, Prince and Blanket had for Michael. She knew about the card, as they had asked her to sign the card the evening before. They were rather curious about what gift she got him, but all she told them was that it was something very thoughtful. She didn't want to spoil the surprise. 

Michael’s back was killing him that morning. It had started to ache during the middle of the night, and so he had trouble remaining asleep. He was not sure if it was age catching up to him, stress of the rehearsals, those old injuries or a combination of all three. All he knew was that it hurt terribly, and seemed to be getting worse. He was not one to complain, unless the pain was really severe, especially not to his kids. He didn't want them to worry too much. He still intended to go with Lissie. He had taken two Aleve at breakfast and was hopeful the medication would take effect by the time he and his children left with Lissie. No way was he gonna let it spoil his day. 

Just then, Lissie entered the den, holding something that was wrapped. The gift paper was very beautiful. Michael was in the den with the kids, watching a cartoon show on the Disney channel. The children looked up and saw the gift. Finally they could see. The suspense was killing them. To Michael, the gift looked like some sort of book, but he couldn't be sure.

“Hey Michael, this is for you. Happy Father's Day. I love you very much.” The young woman handed Michael the gift.

“Thank you very much. I love you, too.” The pop king ripped the gift wrapping off. Inside was a book which bounding was made of leather. It looked like the old leather-bound guestbook he once owned. He couldn't believe it. Tears of happiness streamed down his face. Great. His kids would see him crying and he would have to wash his face again. But he couldn't help it. What Lissie did was one of the nicest things that had ever been done for him. He was reminded of the days his life was a shambles those years ago, but in a good way.

Alyssa eagerly awaited Michael's reaction. She hoped he liked it. What if she made a mistake? Maybe he hated it and she wasted so much money for nothing...although she could always return it if that were the case. She saw that his face was tearstained. ‘Oh no...why is he crying? Are they tears of happiness or pain?’ She would hate to think she was being insensitive without meaning to. “Uh, Michael? You okay?” 

At first he didn't answer. He had been trying to get his emotions under control.

“Yes I am,” he finally replied. “Thank you so much.” Lissie's worries were gone when Michael hugged her. She knew it meant he liked his gift.

“I was worried at first that you didn't like it,” she admitted.

“No, I love it. You don't know how much this means to me.”

Actually, Alyssa did have an idea as she herself got at least minorly upset when someone destroyed one of her most treasured items. In fact, if it was damaged as badly as his guest book, she was often livid. She admired him for being as patient as he was with the Arviso family, because she knew if she were in the same position, she would've kicked the family out right then and there. But she didn't think it would be an appropriate moment to tell him how she knew...unless he asked.

“Well, I'm sorry your first one was destroyed.”

“You don't know the half of it.” There were lots of things Michael had wanted to confide to the young woman. But not right then, since his kids were present and he didn't want them to relive those days. Plus, they had to go get dressed in a minute. 

‘So I was right. There were other things that happened. I’m surprised he didn’t ask me how I knew.’ Lissie was interested in knowing all the details, whenever Michael was ready to tell her. For now, she was just glad he liked his gift, after the brief agonizing over whether he liked it or not. She was proud of herself for somewhat erasing an old scar.

The show that the children were watching was over and their attention was now directed towards Michael and his gift. “What did she give you? Could we see?”

Michael showed them the guestbook.

“Ooh, it's so pretty,” Paris commented.

“Just like the old one,” agreed Prince.

Since Blanket was just in diapers at the time, he didn't remember what the old one looked like. But he too, thought the book was very pretty.

At this point, Michael's back felt a bit better, to the extent where there was only a dull throbbing. Oh well. He was usually able to take his mind off of things like that somewhat.

“Well, we're going to get dressed now. Should be ready in fifteen to twenty minutes. If you want, you can watch TV while you wait.”

“Okay. Thanks.” She was happy to do that, since she hadn't watched much TV lately. She had been so busy she didn’t have very much time to goof off unless she made time. 

With that, Michael and his children left the den. 

‘Now, what should I watch?’ Alyssa decided to check to see any reruns of her favorite shows were on. She found an episode of Full House, and proceeded to watch. It was one of her favorite episodes. She watched until she heard footsteps. She turned off the television, just in case it was Michael, Paris, Prince and Blanket, ready to go. She looked up, and saw that it was them. She thought they looked wonderful. She grabbed her Bible and purse.

“Ready? Let's go.”

________________________________________

Meanwhile at the hospital, Abigail was resting. She was fully awake, and was sitting up in her hospital bed, but she was still very weak. Too weak to stand up, too weak to speak much. It looked like she was withering away. And her skin was still the unhealthy greenish color. Her mom did not like the sight of that, although seeing her fully regain her consciousness gave her a glimmer of hope. She hoped she and her husband would be able to contact Michael Jackson soon. Abigail was the only one who had an idea of how to reach him. Since Abigail had already met him a couple of times before, Mrs. Churchill didn't think it would be right to call the Laugh Factory to help fulfill this request. And she didn't want to ask Abby about Lissie's contact information when it was clear that she couldn't speak much. Not to mention that Lissie might not want it given out without her permission. She did, however, know about how the pop king visited hospitals and orphanages ever so often. ‘Michael coming to visit is my only hope. I wonder if he even knows. I hope he does…I need his help...the medical expenses are increasing.’ 

Just then, a nurse entered the hospital room with a tray of bland food. She handed the tray to Abby's mother. “Make sure she eats every bit of this. She really needs it for now.”

“All right,” said Mrs. Churchill a bit hesitantly.

The nurse left the hospital room.

Abby groaned...she felt like crap and she really didn't feel like eating. But at least it was a distraction from her present condition and from other doctors. She was so afraid. She didn't know what was going to happen. All she knew was that she didn't want to die this soon. She was determined to fight. She wanted to stay strong for Michael and her loved ones. His lupus story gave her a lot of strength and courage. So at least if she didn't make it, she would be happy knowing she got her wish. ‘I wonder how he and Lissie are doing. It would be nice to get a visit from them.’ Her mother handed the food tray to her.

“Here dear. Try to eat at least half of this. It'll make you feel better at least temporarily. “

“Okay, Mom.” She looked at the tray, and fought the urge to make a little face. She hoped her muscles didn't paralyze on her while she was eating. Not that it had started to happen yet, but she heard stories of such a thing happening to a few lupus patients. And with how unpredictable SLE had been with her, she was worried. She forced down as much of her breakfast as she could. 

________________________________________

Alyssa looked at her watch when she, Michael and the kids arrived. Five minutes before Sunday School. Not too bad. She was pretty much a stickler for punctuality. It was something that was a habit. That meant there was time for a little bit of greeting. As they walked in, she braced herself for all the freaking out all her friends who were fans would do. ‘I trust they will control themselves somewhat, though.’

One of her friends, Jenny, was there in the foyer. Her eyes bugged out when she saw the King of Pop and his kids walk in with Alyssa. Of all places, she never thought she would see him at a church building. She'd been a fan of him for many years. Now was her chance to meet him. She was prone to being really fangirly with her favorite celebrities, but this time she would try and keep that side in check, especially since she was handing out the flower shaped pins to all the fathers that morning.

“Hey Jen,” Lissie said to her.

“Hiya, girl.” She then turned to the guy that was the King of Pop and said, “Hey there. Welcome to our service this morning. I hope you and your kids visit again. Here is your pin.” The brunette handed Michael one of the pins.

“Thank you.” The pop icon carefully pinned the flower against his jacket.

Alyssa held her breath, hoping that Jenny wouldn't say anything too embarrassing. She was doing pretty well so far.

“By the way, my name is Jenny, one of Lissie's friends. I'm a pretty big fan of yours.”

Lissie gave her friend a thumbs up sign just for being frank and honest. ‘Good going. All you need to do is be yourself.’

Michael felt this girl was putting him on the spot, but he didn't so much mind this time. He dealt with fans that showed more excitement than she did, and she was doing a pretty good job containing it. “Well, thank you, I appreciate it.”

“I'm sure you must get that a lot so pardon me if you're tired of hearing it.”

“It's okay. It's always icing on the cake to hear about fans that I do not know about.”

Jenny almost fainted, but she caught herself. ‘Oh, he’s so nice...even nicer than I’ve imagined.’ 

“You know I thought Lissie was kidding when she said she was staying with you, but I see she is not.”

Alyssa tried not to look as embarrassed as she felt. She was tempted to say, “I told you so,” for all the teasing she had to endure when she had first told her where she was staying. 

“If you want, I could show your kids to their classes,” Jenny offered.

Michael thought that was sweet of her. He had been wondering about that. “Thank you so much.”

“Come on, children. Follow me.”

“Okay.” They painstakingly walked over to Jenny.

“You three enjoy your class.”

“Okay. Bye, Daddy.”

Alyssa and Michael walked into the auditorium.

“Where do you usually sit?” Michael asked.

“The middle row.”

“Okay.”

Alyssa usually liked to be on the end, but she decided to let Michael have it this time. They found their seats, ignoring all of the curious gazes upon them. There was no time to worry about that. Bible class was starting. It was about the misconception that money was the root of all evil, when it was the love of money that was the root of all evil. Michael thought it was very well said. It made him think of his accusers, about how they made all of those allegations just to get money from him. So far, the singer was enjoying the service. The teachings were not much different from what he was taught. One thing he did notice was that they were plain and simple, and to the point with the teachings. This was a little intimidating for him since he wasn't really accustomed to it, especially with the singing Acappella, but he didn't feel like it was anything worth getting offended over. All in all, he thought it was a good service. Very thought provoking, and most of the people were friendly and welcoming. His children found it an endearing experience, too. He wondered what his parents would make of it. Speaking of which, he needed to call his dad and wish him a Father's Day. The two were never very close, but he thought he owed him that. Not that Joe would have made a big deal out of it anyway, since neither he nor Katherine celebrated anything.

After service that day, as Michael and his children were walking out of the building with Alyssa, some people were saying, “Bye Michael. Come visit again!”

Michael blew them a kiss and waved at them. He definitely wanted to go again, but he wasn't sure if he would that evening. It depended on whether he was feeling good enough or not. But he was grateful to Lissie for allowing him and the kids to accompany her.

The chauffeur was parked outside, waiting. Everyone got in.

“So where to now, Mr. Jackson?” asked the chauffeur.

“The hospital.” No, it wasn't for him, though he did have thoughts about having his back checked out if the nagging pain didn't go away. He simply was going to be doing a hospital visitation, which he hadn't done in awhile. For some reason, he couldn’t stop thinking about Abby, and he had a bad feeling something had happened to her.

“Very well.” The middle-aged driver drove to the hospital.

________________________________________

Abby was coming along slowly but surely, thanks to her steroid dosage being strengthened a bit, along with the chemo. Her mother was happy that things were beginning to look slightly less dire for her. It looked like her chances were increasing. However, they understood that she still had a ways to go before she could be as active as she was. Her doctor still intended to do the transplant just to be safe.

Mrs. Churchill proceeded to pray hard that through some miracle, she and her husband would have help paying for all of the medical expenses, including the transplant. They were not sure if they would cross paths with Michael Jackson in time. Just in case they couldn't rely on him, they were searching for some sort of an alternative plan. But they were unsure of what they could do. They thought having a bake sale or any similar fund raising scheme would be too stressful, and were saving those options as a last resort. Besides, what they really wanted to do was to surprise Abby with another visit with her favorite singer. But now it looked like that was out of the question.

Just when she was beginning to despair about possibly disappointing Abby, someone tall entered the room. It was none other than the King of Pop. He also had someone with him, presumably the young woman who was staying with him. ‘My prayers have been answered.’ She smiled slightly. 

Abby was extremely happy to see Michael and Alyssa, but she still didn't have enough energy to show it. “Hi Michael, hi Lissie,” she said in a weak voice. “I'm so happy to see you both.”

“Hey there, Abby. How are you feeling?”

“Terrible. My lupus has gotten worse.”

'Oh,' thought Alyssa. 'That's why she's not looking so good.' 

Lissie walked over to Abby's mother. “Hi there, Mrs. Churchill, I am Abby's friend Alyssa, otherwise called Lissie.”

'Lissie,' thought Abby's mother. 'So she's the best friend Abigail mentioned.' “Well it is nice to meet you, Lissie.”

When Michael saw Abby that moment, memories of the little kid Farkas returned to him. Her skin was only slightly less greenish than his that time. It appeared that she was having the same problem, and that was his fear. He certainly hoped her condition wasn't as bad as it appeared. He couldn't bear the thought of her suffering, or anyone suffering for that matter. He walked over to her hospital bed and gently stroked her hair. It was also difficult for Alyssa to see Abby like that. She hoped that she would be all right...she would hate to lose her.

“Michael, I need your help badly,” said Mrs. Churchill. She was trying her best not to sound so earnest, in case he couldn't do it for some reason.

“Of course. What happened?”

Mrs. Churchill explained to him the situation, starting from how Abby was taken to the hospital the previous day and how it was discovered her lupus was worsening, as it had proceeded to attack her liver. “Although she has slightly improved since yesterday, she is still in desperate need of a liver transplant. And you see, neither my husband nor I can pay for it alone. So if you can assist us, it would be greatly appreciated.”

He may have become more cautious since he had been deceived by the Arvisos, but he didn't see any of those detestable qualities in this woman. And from what Abby told him when he first met her, she seemed to be a delightful person. 

“I'd be glad to help.” He would donate money to the Lupus Foundation for people who were in need of transplants, including liver transplants. He had done it so many times before. And he also had to donate money to help invest in an office building for the business Lissie and Anastasia owned.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! “ Mrs. Churchill was glad that her worries were over. “My daughter speaks of you all the time.”

“Oh, really?” It was good to hear that sort of thing.

“That she does.”

Michael was glad to be of service. Abby looked sicker than anyone should look and he couldn't have that. It was all he could do not to cry at seeing her in critical condition. “Well, I'm afraid I'd better get going. My children are in the waiting room, waiting for me. Let me just leave you with this.” He handed Mrs. Churchill a business card just in case she needed to contact him for any reason.

“All right, then. Goodbye. It was wonderful seeing you. You just brought a smile to my daughter's face. Thanks again for your help.”

“My pleasure. Let's go, Lissie.”

“Okay.” She wanted to change into something more comfortable anyway. “Feel better Abby.”

“I hope I will,” replied the red head.

Lissie waved, and left the room with Michael.

________________________________________

“So what were the other hard times you went through, between the 2003 and 2005 period?” Alyssa asked, later that afternoon. Prince, Paris and Blanket were in the yard, playing catch, so she thought it was a good moment to talk about it.

Some of those days were pure hell for Michael. He didn't like to even talk about it, and definitely not relive those days. “You really want to know?”

“Sure I do. You know I am always there for you.”

“I know.” He had to admit, the young woman was so easy to talk to, so he didn’t mind so much. She didn't make fun of him or anything.

“Well, while I was shooting a short film for my “One More Chance” single, there was a raid at the ranch. There were over 80 police men there, and by the end of the raid, my room was a wreck.”

'Eighty policemen?' thought Lissie. ‘What on earth?’ But the look on his face told he wasn't joking. She was tempted to ask, “What was the purpose of that?” but she wanted to hear everything, so she didn't.

He continued to tell her all about how his staff workers were crying, telling him not to go in his room, because if he saw the room, he would cry, and about how they messed up the stairs that went up to his bed and cut his mattress and went into places that were off limits to visitors. In other words, they destroyed his property.

Lissie couldn't believe that. Just when she thought they couldn't get any more detestable after bruising his arms and shoulder as well as locking him in the bathroom, they proved her wrong with this. ‘Those cops are lucky I’m not face to face with them. I could just wring their necks for what they did.’ “Um...where are their manners?” she asked, partly to him, partly wondering.

“I don't think they have any.”

“Obviously not.”

The pop musician decided to change the subject to something more pleasant. “Thank you again for allowing me to accompany you to church this morning.”

“Thank you for coming with me. Will you come with me tonight?”

“I would love to, but........I'm hurting.”

Uh-oh. It always worried her when he said that. The guy had to deal with chronic pain for such a long time. She didn't like that. “Is it your back?” she asked.

“Yes. The Aleve didn't work very well for me today. Looks like I will need something stronger.”

‘Oh dear .I have to do something to help. The last thing I want is for him to relapse into the dependency problems, and I know he doesn’t want that either.’ She recalled one of those orthopedic pillows that helped with his problems, maybe she could get one of those for him. ‘Don’t worry, Michael. Just leave it to me.’


	13. Chapter 13

Ever since Michael's visit on Sunday, Abby had been in good spirits, even though her condition hadn't changed very much. She was a little less weak though, as her cheerfulness was helping. Her parents were so grateful to Michael for his help. Thanks to him, they were more hopeful that Abby would have her lupus under control. Just earlier that day, they got a call saying a matching donor for the liver transplant was found, and a healthy one at that. It belonged to a woman who had died in a plane crash two years ago. The surgery was scheduled for Friday. They wanted it done as soon as possible. The doctors had warned them about the chances of complications and organ rejection and that she would need to continue to take immunosuppressant drugs to prevent that.

“I understand...as long as it will help,” Mrs. Churchill had said. She thought even the smallest chance of survival was enough reason to not give up. She remembered Michael giving her his business card in case she needed him. She decided to call him to tell him the news and to say “thank you” once again. She took out her cell phone and dialed the number. She hoped she would get him. ‘I will never be able to thank him enough.’

Three rings. “Hello, this is Michael Jackson speaking,” said a tenor voice.

“Hi Michael, this is Mrs. Churchill speaking.”

“Oh hi, how are you?”

“I'm doing very well, thank you very much. I have some good news.”

“Oh, what is it?”

“A matching donor for the transplant was found. Your efforts helped tremendously.”

“That's wonderful! I'm glad to hear that.”

“The operation will take place as soon as possible.” The older woman told him what the doctor said.

There was a slight pause on the other line. “Well don't lose the slightest bit of hope. Prayers can do wonders in situations like this.”

Oh. So he was as spiritual as people said he was. That was good. “Well, thank you. I can use some prayers for her.”

“That I will.”

“Not enough words can express my gratitude to you. You are such a splendid person, and I wish you well in your work.”

“Thank you. It means a lot. I wish you all the best as well.”

“Many thanks to you. Take care of yourself. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.” Mrs. Churchill hung up, and decided to leave for some coffee. “I'll be right back, sweetie,” she told her daughter. She gently stroked her hair and then left.

________________________________________

The days before the concert tour were winding down. It was a little less than 3 weeks away, and Michael was very excited. So were the children and Alyssa, since they would get to be on stage with him as well as backstage treatment. Although Michael had originally only wanted to do ten shows and felt like he couldn't do fifty shows back to back, he had gotten used to the idea. He wanted to show his children and the world he still had his touch even at age 50. In fact, he was already packed to go to London, as the plan was to leave on Friday, only two days away. Lissie had also done some packing, but she wasn't quite finished yet. She would do some more when she got home from rehearsals, if she wasn't too tired. Latoya still had a bad feeling about her brother doing fifty shows, but was supporting him since he was so psyched about it. She would also be there in case something terrible happened. She thought it was very nice of him to include Alyssa in it, and a very risky move as well. She thought Lissie seemed too nice to get mixed up in any possible media scandal that this tour would trigger. She mentioned this to Michael, and he assured her that everything would be all right. He always protected his children from being in the spotlight so they wouldn’t have to deal with nasty comments. He loved Alyssa as if she were his own child, so he would protect her the same way if he had to. 

So far, the orthopedic pillow that Michael got from Lissie was helping him quite a bit. He could tell that she was trying to save him from having to resort to using strong prescription medication for the agony and sleeping problems, and he appreciated it. He hoped the pillow continued to work as well as it had been so far so he would not have to resort to using the strong pain meds. He didn't particularly like their effects very much, and he was still against the idea of using drugs. He only used them because there were times he was in extreme pain and he couldn't bear it very well. Sometimes he hated being so sensitive to pain...but he knew it was part of his lupus, even though he was able to keep it somewhat dormant with protection from the sun and florescent lighting.

Just the other day, he hired a first aid specialist. Her name was Shelley Brennan, and her role was to travel on tour with him just in case someone suffered serious injury there, since that had happened to him a couple of times. From what she told him in their interview, she seemed to be quite skilled and competent in her work...just the attributes he was looking for. He didn't want any quacks on his staff.

After Bible study that evening, Alyssa was picked up by one of Michael's chauffeurs. He drove her to the Staples Center for the remainder of the rehearsal. She had been doing that ever since she had been staying with Michael. He understood her Wednesday schedule, and told her to just come when she could. She would usually get there between eight fifteen and eight thirty, and she would catch the final hour. So when she walked in and saw everyone standing around, she was surprised. What was going on? Why weren't Michael and his crew rehearsing? Or did it end earlier than usual?

“Hey everybody,” she greeted cheerfully. Then her facial expression turned into a frown. “Did I miss something?”

“No, no, you didn't,” Michael reassured her, seeing her worried look. “I have started to lose my singing voice it seems so I'm resting it.”

‘Oh. Laryngitis. Definitely not good news, but I am relieved I didn’t miss anything.’ Well he was in luck. She had some extra cough drops on hand. She often used them after rehearsing her part. They were so bitter that even water wasn't enough to rid herself of the taste right away, but they worked well. She reached into her purse and handed the pop icon 2 of them. “Hope this helps.”

“Thank you.” He unwrapped them, dropped them into a mug of hot water that he was holding, and took a sip. He had used a couple earlier, but it wasn't enough. It was so nice of Lissie to do that for him.

“Better now?” Lissie asked. She had never thought of using the technique he had for keeping a clear voice whenever she practiced singing, but she wanted to be sure it would work well for him this time.

“Yes. Thank you.” He still wasn't quite ready to rehearse, though. Maybe in another twenty minutes or so.

Alyssa decided to eat the dinner she brought with her while she waited. Kai had started to make dinner for Lissie to take to rehearsals with her just as she did for Michael. Thank goodness it was something that could be eaten both hot and cold as she couldn't even go to rehearsal right away. She sat in one of the chairs and proceeded to eat the pasta salad Kai made for her.

________________________________________

The media had been relatively quiet about covering Michael recently. Given that it was getting closer to the This Is It concerts, the stories and rumors circulated again. A woman on CNN news was now reporting from a tabloid source about Michael's health. The tabloids reported that the singer was frail and that he often needed someone to spoon feed him because he was too weak to feed himself. They also reported that he weighed less than 120 pounds, he often suffered from fatigue, he had an eating disorder and predicted that he would not make it through the 50 concerts. It was also said that he was taking prescription drugs to make himself sick so he could back out of the concerts.

“What do you think of these latest developments?” asked Sharon. “Do you believe there is any truth to them?”

“I can believe that,” answered a man in his mid-fifties. “He’s such a lazy, good-for-nothing slacker. At this rate he will never get out of debt.”

“I resent that,” cut in Firpo Carr, a Jackson family friend. “I am aware of the fact that he was deceived into doing 50 concerts, but he is not the type of person who would intentionally disappoint his fans and children. “

“Don’t forget, Michael has struggled with his health for years, so if he decides he was not healthy enough to do the tour at all, I would understand,” a middle aged woman said.

“Thanks for all of your input, everyone!” said Sharon. “That's all the time we have today on that topic. Here's what's coming up next!” She announced the next topic and took a commercial break.

Alison had just arrived in London about an hour ago. She would be starting work the day after her birthday. She was staying at a home of a girl whose name was Teresa, an online buddy of hers who would also be a roommate in college. Teresa was watching the media coverage, to see what garbage they were saying now. Feeling partly annoyed, partly tickled, she called for Alison.

The dark haired teen entered Terri's room. “What is it?” she asked. The strawberry-blonde young woman sounded rather frantic, she hardly ever yelled. She was rather soft spoken. ‘I wonder what is wrong. I hope there is no crisis.’ 

“You wouldn't believe what they're saying about Michael Jackson now.”

Allie rolled her eyes. ‘Such greedy losers…I don’t know why Terri is bothering to listen to them and give them the ratings they don’t deserve.’ “So what did they say this time?”

Terri told her everything what was said.

Allie could only shake her head. Looked like the tabloid writers haven't learned a thing. “Well that doesn't surprise me. They're such scumbags.”

“Amen. I so can't wait for these concerts to start so he could make them eat their words.”

“Mmmhmm.”

Teresa changed the channel to a music video related one. 

 

________________________________________

Just as Lissie was done eating, Michael decided he was ready to rehearse. Lissie put the container and stuff in a plastic bag.

“Okay, I'm ready,” Michael told the sound technician. “I need some sound.”

“You got it, Mr. Jackson.” The gentleman turned on the sound system.

Michael's voice got loud. Alyssa couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

“Okay, people, are you ready for another strenuous practice?” the singer asked his crew.

“You bet!”

“Good. Let's do it!” He gave the sound technician the signal to turn on the music, which he did at the motion.

As Michael and his dancers and others got on the stage, upbeat music started playing. Music for “They Don't Care About Us.” When Lissie first heard it, she used to find it funny when he would tell people do all the stuff to him and then turned around and said that they didn't care about him...which was why she loved the song so much. She hoped she would be able to keep a straight face. She didn't want Michael to think she was making fun of him.

 

Skin head, dead head  
Everybody gone bad  
Situation, aggravation  
Everybody allegation  
In the suite, on the news  
Everybody dog food  
Bang bang, shot dead  
Everybody's gone mad

All I wanna say is that  
They don't really care about us  
All I wanna say is that  
They don't really care about us

Beat me, hate me  
You can never break me  
Will me, thrill me  
You can never kill me  
Jew me, Sue me  
Everybody do me  
Kick me, Kike me  
Don't you black or white me

All I wanna say is that  
They don't really care about us  
All I wanna say is that  
They don't really care about us

 

As Lissie watched the performance, one thing she noticed was that Michael appeared to have downgraded the dance routine a little bit. She figured it was probably to protect his back, which had been giving him a lot of pain recently. That was a very smart move on his part. She didn't want him to get hurt. ‘Even so, I’m still glad it’s him and not me...although I wish I did know how to dance so he could take a rest.’ 

Just as Michael always did in his music video for the song, he screamed at certain points. Lissie was nearly in hysterics at that point. Now she really had to fight hard not to laugh. It always made her laugh when Michael screamed and had the crowd echo after him. He wrapped up the song and screamed again. That did it. Alyssa couldn't hold in the laughter anymore...but she couldn't laugh in front of him. She left the arena, laughed and came back.

The pop king took a water break, and then practiced Human Nature next. Before Lissie began going to rehearsals with him, she had only heard the song a few times.

If they say, why, why? Tell 'em that is human nature  
Why, why does he do me that way?  
If they say, why, why? Tell 'em that is human nature  
Why, why does he do me that way?  
I like livin' this way, I like lovin' this way

 

And Michael rehearsed the other songs as vibrantly as Lissie was accustomed to seeing. He was very energetic that night. In fact, she had never seen him look better. She was quite impressed and mesmerized. The fact that he watered down the dance routine meant nothing. The people who doubted him would be put to shame.

When Michael was done rehearsing, it was nearly one o'clock. This was the latest Lissie ever recalled him being there ever since she had been going with him. She knew it was only because of the 2 ½ hour delay, which was quite understandable under the circumstances. She knew Prince, Paris and Blanket were long in bed. She could stay up this late sometimes, but she tried not to on days she had to work. ‘At least I won’t have to work tomorrow.’ 

The King of Pop's choreographer Travis Payne, who had been watching the dance routine, pulled him to the side. “I've noticed that you've changed your dance routine from what it was before. What happened?”

“My back has been in pain lately and I thought maybe the stress from the previous routine was causing it,” Michael explained. Actually his back felt rather funny at that very moment even though it didn't really sting. He ignored it, though.

Travis nodded. “I understand. Well, be as cautious as you must be. You need to be at your best for this concert tour.”

“That I will.” It was at this moment Michael felt confident that he could get through this rigorous tour. He was so pumped and excited that he didn't think he could be able to sleep. He asked Lissie if she was ready to go.

“Yes I am,” she answered, getting up from the seat she had been sitting in.

“Okay. Just give me a few minutes.” He walked over to an older gentleman and gave him a hug. “I feel like I can do this now.”

“That's good to hear. I know you can.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Michael and Lissie said goodbye to the dancers, make-up artist, director, and band, then left. The young woman was even more excited about the concerts as well. She was especially excited about going to London, since she'd never been to a country outside of the US before, except for Canada where she lived for fifteen years. She just hoped she didn't make an idiot of herself in England since they had to have a certain code of conduct there. ‘Michael knows what to expect since he has been there so many times, though. He would be able to show me the ropes.’


	14. Chapter 14

When Alyssa headed downstairs for breakfast the next morning, she only saw Kai, the children and the first aid specialist, Shelley. She was surprised that Michael was not there. After all, he had been eating breakfast every day with the children ever since she was living there. Was something wrong? Or was he just sleeping in because they got in so late from rehearsal the night before? ‘If he did decide to sleep in late I understand. I can’t say I didn’t feel like sleeping late myself. But something is telling me that’s not it.’ 

“Good morning, everyone,” she said, trying to sound cheerful.

“Morning, Lissie,” everyone answered.

“Is everything all right?” Kai asked. “You seem to be worried about something.”

‘Uh-oh. Have I been wearing my heart on my sleeve just now? I didn’t realize it.’ “I am wondering if something happened to Michael, I mean, he is not down here for breakfast like he usually is.”

“Yes, I have noticed that. Maybe he's sleeping in late.”

Lissie nodded. “Yes, that’s what I thought too, but I am not so sure.” She thought there were other possibilities, like maybe he wasn’t feeling well enough to come down. She didn't believe they should go ahead and eat without him unless he gave the go ahead to. “I’d better go and check on him.”

Kai could tell Lissie didn't want to eat without him. She wanted to check up on him, but the only problem was she was not allowed upstairs. She knew Lissie had been given the green light to be in his room when he was there, though. “All right. You go ahead and do that.”

“I’ll be right back.” Lissie wondered if she could be overthinking all of this, but she couldn’t help her worries about Michael. She didn't know what she would do if something happened to him. He did so much for her, and his family and loved ones deserved to have him around for a long time. She climbed up the stairs as quickly as she could, and knocked on Michael's bedroom door.

“Lissie, is that you?” a voice asked.

“Yes it's me.”

“Come on in.”

Lissie couldn't help but notice that the singer's voice sounded a little pain filled. Worried, she opened the door and entered. Michael was dressed in jeans and a shirt, but he was sitting up in bed. As much as she hated to say it, he looked pitiful.

“Good morning, Michael. Did you sleep well?”

“I barely slept. Not at all. I've been in pain since shortly after we got home and I still am right now.”

Lissie never liked hearing those words. ‘Please don’t tell me that pillow isn’t working. I don’t know what else to do.’ She rubbed her hands together. “What happened?”

“My back. It's hurting very badly. I cannot move without feeling excruciating pain.”

“Oh.” Lissie thought that might be it, though she couldn't be positive. In a way, she wasn’t expecting that, since he hadn’t seem to be feeling any discomfort the previous night and she could always tell when he did. ‘I guess I could give him a massage, but I’m not very good at massages. Besides, who’s to say it will help, especially if the Aleve and pillow are no longer working?’ She felt so helpless, knowing her last effort no longer worked. “You should see a doctor, just to make sure nothing's wrong. You cannot keep going on like this. You could do permanent damage.”

Michael could see the concern in her eyes. She sounded so motherly. And he definitely didn’t want to do any more damage. “I plan to see a doctor, yes. I will before rehearsals.”

‘Smart decision.’ Alyssa tried not to show how glad she was to hear that. She also knew Michael coming down for breakfast was obviously out of the question. “Should I have someone bring you breakfast?”

“Yes, tell Shelley to bring it. You all can go ahead and eat.”

“All right. I hope you'll be okay.”

Michael could only hope that nothing serious was wrong. He was tempted to take some drowsy pain medication that would leave him knocked out, but he was not going to do that. Not after the influence Lissie had on him. A good chiropractor would do just fine. ‘I have to hang on, somehow.’

“I have a favor to ask of you,” Michael told Lissie.

“Oh?” This was interesting. She asked him to do stuff for her more than he asked her to do things for him. What could he want?

“If anything happens to me, I need you to help watch over my children. They look up to you.”

Alyssa was a little taken aback. Michael was talking like he would never see her again. It was so depressing. But it never hurt to be prepared.

“Sure I will. You have my word.”

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

“I love you so much.”

“I love you more.” She left his room and shut the door behind her and went back downstairs to the dining room table.

“Is Mr. Jackson okay?” the chef asked Lissie.

Lissie shook her head. “Not really. His back hurts really badly so he's taking it easy for awhile.”

“I see. Well he would need rest in that case. Did he say if he was eating or not?”

“He wants Shelley to bring the food up for him.”

“Very well.” The auburn haired woman took Michael's share of granola and juice and disappeared upstairs.

Paris said a prayer, and she and the others proceeded to eat. As Lissie ate, she noticed that the children were trying not to be too sad about their daddy, but she could tell they were a bit unhappy. They didn't like the thought of their father suffering in any way. She felt the same way.

Kai sensed the somber mood, and wanted to lighten it. She understood the worries, but it was starting to feel like a funeral. She didn't want the moment to be turned into a cry-fest. “I'm sure Mr. Jackson will be just fine once he gets rest.”

“I hope so,” said Paris a bit wistfully.

“How about we put on one of your father's CDs? Would you like that?”

“Yeah!”

The 37 year old put on the Thriller CD that was given to her when she first started working for Michael. Almost immediately, there was a sense of cheerfulness. It was hard not to feel cheerful, considering how upbeat the music was.

“Is that better?” she asked.

“Yes,” answered Paris.

“Good.”

Shelley reentered the dining room. She certainly didn't expect to hear music playing during breakfast. She raised an eye-brow slightly.

“Well, this is an interesting choice,” she commented.

“The kids were feeling a bit blue, so I turned on the music. Also it is a ritual that we play music during meals,” Kai explained.

“I see.” That was something she didn't know. Well, she had just started working for the King of Pop so she had a lot to learn about him and his family.

Lissie and the Jackson kids were soon done with breakfast and cleared off the table. The song Beat It came on. Prince, in a silly mood, started dancing Michael's routine to the song as best as he could. Lissie couldn't help but stifle a laugh at how goofy he looked. He wasn't paying attention, though. Paris and Blanket began to giggle. Then Lissie gave in and laughed, too, she just couldn't hold it in any longer. Kai smiled at this. She was happy the music did the trick.

Just then, Grace came in and reminded Paris, Prince and Blanket about the shopping trip that morning.”Be ready in an hour,” she said.

“Yes ma'am.” The kids went upstairs to get ready. Alyssa had some time to kill. She had already showered before breakfast that morning, and rehearsals were not for about three hours. She knew Michael would not go there right away, knowing that he intended to see a doctor first. She decided to go online for a little while. She hadn't been on the internet for several weeks, so she had a lot to catch up on. She went upstairs to her bedroom.

________________________________________

Michael's children were ready in 40 minutes, so they decided to see their father before they left. Paris knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” asked Michael's voice. He was feeling so much discomfort at the moment, he hoped the doctor could do something about it. He felt like he needed a new back or something. He wondered if he should call those involved with the concerts and let them know that he would be late or just skip the first rehearsal altogether. The latter he felt like doing but didn't want to do at the same time.

“It's me, Paris, and Prince and Blanket are with me.”

Oh. His kids. He could use a visit from them as their company always uplifted his spirits, “Come in.”

Paris opened the door and she, Prince and Blanket walked in. Their father looked so stressed, so tired. As much as it bothered them, they would try to be strong. He always taught them to smile, even when their hearts ached.

“You feel better?” Prince asked.

In truth, he was not, but he didn't want to worry them. ‘Gee, I hate to tell them I feel terrible, but I cannot lie to them, either.’ “I don't, but hopefully that will be fixed soon,” was what he said.

“I hope so.”

“I do, too.” That was because he couldn't afford to miss any rehearsals since it was really crunch time. Of course, he would if a doctor ordered him to. 

“Sorry you're hurting, Daddy,” Paris said in a small voice.

Michael was sorry he was feeling this way, too, and that his kids had to see it. He never liked them to see him in pain so when that happened he would still be fairly active. But unfortunately that was not an option at the moment. Besides, they were old enough to understand things like that. He still didn't want them to worry more than they had to, though.

“Anyway, we also came to tell you that we're going shopping with Grace,” said Paris.

“All right. Have fun. Don't give Grace a hard time.” Which he didn't expect they would. It was just a friendly reminder.

“We won't,” promised Blanket.

“We love you very much!” the children chorused in unison.

Michael managed a smile. “I love you more.”

With that, Paris, Prince and Blanket left the room, having the feeling that Grace was probably waiting.

 

________________________________________

 

Lissie was on her laptop, checking her Facebook page. Just as she thought, there was a lot going on. She had so many notifications, she wasn't going to even try to go through all of them during the abbreviated time she was online. She was going to have to do that when she had more time for computer use, and she didn't know when that would be, considering that she had work and went to rehearsals, not to mention the trip to England that weekend. She felt bad she didn't have more time to chat with friends or reply to e-mails, but what could she do? She was so busy until it wasn't funny that after she was done with her work, she was too tired to make time. ‘I hope my friends don’t hate me.’

A couple of her friends had their status updated to: R.I.P Farrah Fawcett. ‘I think I have heard of Farrah, but I do not know her work.’ She searched to see if there was a biography of her life somewhere. She found one, and proceeded to read it. Now she knew. The actress struggled with a battle with cancer for 3 years and it was quite a valiant battle, and she was only 62. The death just happened almost an hour ago. Quite shocking. There was a special about her life story scheduled for that evening. She would try to watch it, so she could learn more about the Charlie's Angel star. ‘Oh, stupid cancer.’ 

Desperately trying to get her mind on something more pleasant, Lissie decided to reread one of her favorite anime' related fan fictions. She only had time to read a one-shot, so that's what she settled for...one that was Sailor Moon related. Though she had read the story many times, she always enjoyed it and felt like it was getting better with every time.

She looked at the time on her computer. It was about time for her to be getting dressed. She shut down the device. Just as she was about to get dressed, she heard a loud thud nearby that was so sudden she nearly leapt six feet in the air.

‘Goodness gracious, what the heck was that?’ thought the young woman. The disturbing part was that it sounded like it came from Michael's room. Her heart was pounding, and her instincts were telling her to go and see if he was all right. She went to his room and tapped lightly on the door, though it was not completely closed. “Michael?” she called.

There was no answer, so she thought maybe he hadn't heard her. “MICHAEL!!!”

There still was no answer. Now she knew something was wrong, because whenever she had to go see the pop king in his room for some reason, he always told her to come on in. But he hadn't done that this time. She wouldn't have had to call as loudly as she did, her normal voice was fine. Only when he was in the bathroom or something, she would have to go in and call louder. Knowing that she'd better see what was going on, she slowly opened the door and tip toed in, and there was a truly shocking, disgusting sight...at least it was to her. She knelt down to get a better look at the singer's current condition.

Michael was lying on his bedroom floor. His eyes were closed, and he was dressed in black jeans and a sports coat, and he only had one sock on. There was a rather nasty looking bump in the middle of his head and it was leaking a crimson liquid that appeared to be.........blood? She was afraid it was. And the eerie thing was that it was spreading where she was. She didn't particularly want him bleeding on her...not on what she was wearing. She was able to piece together what happened after awhile. ‘He must have been getting dressed to get ready to go to the hospital and collapsed and bumped his head. I am sure that number did not help his back at all. Frankly, I am surprised he came as far as he had in dressing himself, considering the pain he described to me. ‘ Judging from all the hemorrhaging, she realized he must have hit his head pretty hard. ‘Ouch, that must have hurt….lucky it wasn’t the bald spot.’ But she was relieved to see that he was still breathing steadily. She lightly touched his hand, and he was still extremely warm.

'Don't panic,' she silently said to herself. That was easier said than done. Especially when she saw that blood was beginning to trickle from his nose, as if he were having a nose bleed. The first thing that came to her mind to do was call 911, but there was no land phone in his room, although he was generous enough to let her have a phone as well as her own phone number. But it was in her room, and she didn't want to leave him unattended. She knew she would need help to save his life...she couldn't do it on her own...not with an injury like this. Plus, she had no training, whereas Shelley had the training for it. After all, she was an EMT. She yelled for Shelley.

“What is it, Lissie?” she called back.

“I need your help very badly...bring your first aid kit with you!”

“Be right there.” A little baffled, the 38 year old EMT got her first aid kit and brought it upstairs with her. Her impression of Lissie was a quiet person but to hear her raising her voice like that, something must have been seriously wrong. She came into the room.

“Now what's the matter?” she asked.

“It's Michael. He's really bleeding.” Alyssa was so shaken that she had to work hard to control her voice. She led the woman to where Michael lay. Shelley stooped down, rested her emergency first aid kit on the floor and examined the King of Pop. She was appalled by what she saw. She felt his wrist for a pulse and was relieved to find a medium one. “Oh my goodness...what do you suppose happened?”

“I believe he was getting dressed to go see a doctor and for rehearsals and he just...collapsed and bumped his head somehow. “

“I see,” she said, frowning slightly. She could see the signs of trauma to the head very clearly. She got a cloth out of her first aid kit and proceeded to apply pressure to the wound on his head. She lifted it up a bit, as if to elevate it. “Hun, if you could call 911 while I tend to Mr. Jackson, that would be a big help.”

“Sure thing.” The young woman raced into her bedroom, got her cordless phone and dialed 911.

“Hello, what is your emergency?”

“There's a middle-aged man here who is in dire need of help. He's unconscious and he is bleeding.”

“How old is this gentleman?”

Lissie felt slightly annoyed. She didn't know what that had to do with anything. But she kept her temper. “He's fifty.”

“So is he breathing?”

“Yes he is, very steadily. And he has a pulse as well.”

“Are you the only one with him?”

“No, his personal EMT is here tending to him.”

“All right. That's fine. Will send an ambulance right away, ma'am.”

“All right. Thank you.” Lissie hung up the phone and looked to see how Shelley was coming along. “Making any progress?”

“Yes, I've gotten the bleeding to slow down some.”

That was a relief. She was so scared for him when he was bleeding, she was afraid he would bleed to death. Too often she heard stories of fairly survivable injuries where the victim died from losing too much blood...she didn't want that to happen to Michael, too. ‘I hope the ambulance gets here quickly.’ She talked softly to Michael, assuring him that everything would be okay, at the same time convincing herself as well. Shelley smiled...she didn't know the young lady very well, but whoever she was, she must be very dear to her boss.

Thankfully, paramedics showed up within minutes. Four of them raced into the room. Alyssa had never been so happy in her life. Maybe Michael would get the care he needed. “You stay here until the children return and I will go with Mr. Jackson,” Shelley instructed. The paramedics removed Michael's body, laid him on the stretcher and placed an oxygen mask on his face. He was then carried down the stairs. The medics went out the back door and lifted the stretcher into the ambulance.

“Will do.” Breaking the news would be difficult. It would especially be difficult to break it to Paris, since she had such a love for her daddy. She could only imagine how upset the 11 year old would be to hear about this. Prince and Blanket, she wasn't quite so sure how they would take it. Regardless, she was not going to tell them all the gory details about Michael bleeding...she had a hard time stomaching the sight. And she needed to get out of there. She felt very uneasy from seeing all that blood, almost like she felt Michael's distress. She was not much for the sight of blood. She walked out of there and down the stairs. ‘Oh joy.’

Kai heard all the commotion and wasn't sure what to make of it, but she was guessing that something was wrong with Michael especially when she saw Shelley go upstairs with the first aid kit. But when she saw paramedics come, she was really worried. She wanted some answers and she figured Lissie would know. She was glad to see her emerge from upstairs. 

“Is something wrong with Mr. Jackson?” asked the chef.

At this point, Lissie was on the verge of tears. She had to suppress her emotions some before she answered the question. “Yes...he's been hurt,” she got out, in a slightly wavery voice.

“Oh I'm sorry. That's terrible.”  
“How am I going to tell the kids about this? What if they think it is a bad joke?”

“Never mind that. I'm sure that they won't. Tell you what...I'll alert the security about this, then I'll start to prepare the lunch so it could be ready by the time they come home.”

“Okay.” But she really didn't feel much like eating. All she could do was think about how of all the days she had been staying there, this was by far the worst day ever. ‘How am I supposed to tell the children their dad was rushed to the hospital with a possible head injury? Either way, I have to think of something quick. They should be home very shortly.’

Kai came back from the den. “I just told a security guard and he's speaking with Mr. Jackson's father right now. The other family members will most likely know from him.”

“All right.”

“You want tofu salad, right?”

“Yep.”

“All righty, then.” Kai went into the kitchen and started preparing the lunch. About fifteen minutes later, Grace and the children returned home. By then, Lissie knew what she would say.

“Hi guys,” she greeted them.

“Hi Lissie,” answered Paris.

“Hi,” the other two echoed.

Paris noticed that Lissie looked a little upset. “Lissie, what’s wrong? Why do you look like you’re about to start crying? Is something wrong with Daddy?”

Oops. Alyssa apparently wasn't doing a very good job hiding how she truly felt. She knew she couldn't lie. “Yes there is. I have to tell you all something. Come into the den with me.”

“Okay.” The three youngsters followed the young woman into the den. They wondered what could be wrong. They didn't want to go crazy wondering. “So what happened?” asked Prince.

“I have some bad news. Your daddy had to be taken to the hospital.”

Paris looked like she just swallowed bad medicine. No, this just could not be. Not when she just saw him that morning before she left to go shopping with Grace. Although he was clearly in pain then, he was still in good spirits. But she wanted to hear the news all the way through. Of course neither she nor her brothers liked the thought of him suffering in any way, but maybe it was something minor. “So, is it his back?”

'If it were only that,' the young woman thought. “No, he collapsed, and was hurt badly. He bumped his head when he fell.”

At first, Paris didn't know what to make of this. In shock, she dropped her shopping bag. But when it did sink in, she looked like she was hit by a truck. Just as expected, she fell apart. She burst into tears. 

‘Oh dear…just what I was afraid of. However, I can’t say I do not feel like crying myself.’ Lissie moved close to Paris as if she would hug her, but she couldn't be sure if she was consolable or not. She very carefully put her arms around the young girl and was relieved that she didn't pull away. Instead, she buried her head in Lissie's shoulder and wept. All Lissie could do was hold her and stroke her hair. She looked up at Prince and Blanket and saw that they were trying to fight back tears, which is what she expected. 

Kai put the lunch she was preparing aside for the moment and she and Grace went into the den to see how things went. Apparently it didn't go well. There Lissie was, looking visibly upset and trying to comfort a crying Paris and the two boys holding back tears. It was such a sad sight to see.

“Try to calm down a little, everyone. Let's gather around in unity and pray about this.” Everyone gathered around in a circle and held hands. Kai said a prayer that Michael would make it through. After the prayer, Lissie was feeling better, but only a little. ‘I’m placing this in God’s hands now. It’s all I can do.’ 

Just then, one of the security guards entered the den. “Ms. Chase, you may leave for today.”

“Yes sir.” The chef told Lissie to contact her when she received more news about Michael, then took her purse and left.

Lissie turned to face the three kids. “Why don't we go to the hospital so we could be closer to your daddy?” she suggested. “Would you like that?”

The children nodded solemnly.

“Let's go, then.” The 23 year old put on her shoes and got her keys and purse. She could only imagine that there would be a media circus about these turn of events, and she wasn't looking forward to it. ‘I have a feeling this will be a long day.’


	15. Chapter 15

Michael's accident was on the news as quickly as Alyssa had anticipated. A female reporter on MSNBC reported the news. “Sometime before noon pacific time, the pop star Michael Jackson collapsed and severely injured himself. He is now at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. The severity of the injuries are unknown at the moment. We will update you on his condition when we get more information.”

Eileen, who had been a fan of Michael ever since she was old enough to walk and talk, nearly fell off her couch when she heard that. “Oh my God! Michael is hurt?! NOOOOOOOOOOO!” She just could not believe it. First the news about Farrah Fawcett's death and now this? She only hoped he wouldn't die just like Farrah did. ‘Two stars dying on the same day? That would be unbearable!’ And she really loved Michael. She was one of the people who had been fortunate enough to spend time with him at Neverland about 17 years ago, when she was eight. She was especially looking forward to going to his comeback concerts. Now that was out of the question...at least right then, anyway.

Most of the fans in LA reacted similarly to the way Eileen did. Some of them flocked to UCLA Medical Center to see if they could get a closer look at their idol and get more info on what was wrong. They also had thoughts about having vigils for him and dedicating videos to him, as well as make a Get Well Soon basket which contained Get Well Soon letters. As much as they wanted to be there for him in person, they were not sure if it was possible since the hospital would probably be surrounded by media and security. When the mob of fans got to the hospital, they saw a whole bunch of security and reporters and people there. ‘No way are we gonna be able to get past this crowd unless we could find an entrance no one knows about.’ 

Fortunately, Lissie, Paris, Prince and Blanket were able to arrive before the reporters and the crowd. They were currently sitting in the waiting room. But neither of Michael's siblings, nor his family was there yet, which made sense considering most of the family lived outside of LA. 

‘I expect to see Latoya first,’ thought Lissie. She wasn't sure what she would do if she saw his dad. From what Michael told her he seemed very gruff. Not exactly the characteristic she went for. She hadn't crossed paths with him yet, but she might this time...after all, his son had gotten hurt. And she was deathly afraid of saying the wrong thing. Sure, she dealt with stern people before, but never anyone as stern as he was. She felt someone tugging at her elbow. 

“Lissie?” It was Blanket. 

Lissie looked to see what the little boy wanted. “Yes?”

“Will daddy be okay?” Blanket looked at the young woman with scared eyes. 

Lissie wasn’t entirely sure how she should answer that. ‘I would like to say yes, but I cannot be positive since we were not even given an update.’ Although they had prayed that he would pull through and make a complete recovery, she wasn't sure what God's will would be. “I hope so,” she finally replied. “Let us hope for the best. “

“I'm scared,” said Paris.

‘Poor girl.’ Lissie had been trying to be strong and have faith, but that was easier said than done. “So am I,” she admitted. “Try to hang in there.” ‘I have to remind myself of that, too.’

Just then, an elderly woman entered the waiting room. Katherine. Lissie thought she was safe. After all, Michael deemed her as perfection. And she had met her once since living with Michael and liked her a lot. Katherine took the seat next to her.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Jackson.” 

“Good afternoon, Lissie, is it?”

“That's right.”

“Well, it is nice to see you again.”

“Likewise.” 

The children were so glad to see Katherine. “Hi grandma!”

“Hi kids. How are you?”

“Kinda scared,” Paris answered for all of them.

“It's all right to feel that way.” The 79 year old motioned for Prince, Paris and Blanket to sit in her lap. They did so, and felt some sort of comfort. They also felt like she was encouraging them to release their emotions. Paris started to cry again, and this time the boys did not try to hold it in. They burst into tears, too. All three kids were crying so uncontrollably, it was like they had been stabbed in the heart.

That did it for Alyssa. A tear ran down her face and she quickly dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. She didn’t want the children to see her crying. 

________________________________________

Since the current condition of the pop crooner was unknown, the tabloid source Sun decided to create a false story about it, just to cause drama. They said that Michael had lost a large amount of blood and was brain dead. They wrote that the doctors had placed him on life support and since he wasn't improving, they pulled the plug.   
A reporter on TMZ took the new information as the truth. “Today is a very sad day for the Jackson family as the King of Pop, Michael Jackson has passed away at UCLA Medical Center just minutes ago. The reclusive superstar had suffered an unspecified injury from a fall. He was found by a young lady who alerted his recently hired personal EMT, Shelley Brennan. Despite Brennan's best efforts, his injury was just far too inoperable. In a final desperate attempt to save the star's life, doctors put him on life support. He had not responded to that, so the team of doctors was forced to pull the plug. He was 50 years old.”

Another man reported, “The superstar was preparing for a series of comeback concerts, 50 shows back to back. Whether he had what it took or not to take on all those concerts was debated. It is said that he was in very ill health, very weak and frail, and that he nearly passed out during a couple of rehearsals. This would have been his first major concert since the millennium concert in 2001 and first tour since his History tour during the years of 1996-1997.”

The female journalist reported, “Well as a result of this unexpected death, the fans that purchased the tickets will need to be reimbursed it seems, and a story of his life will be scheduled tentatively tonight, after Farrah's story. News on when autopsy will be performed will be given when more information is released.”

And a couple of news stations repeated the news of Michael’s death without officially confirming it. They only said TMZ reported it but that they wouldn’t say anything more until the whole story came out, preferably by a member of the Jackson family. Other stations just said he was hospitalized with an injury and he was receiving the best amount of care, and that they wouldn’t comment on the rumors until they were confirmed. 

This mixture of information made the fans confused and unsure what to believe. They wanted to believe that TMZ was lying since they didn't consider it a reliable news source, but that didn't stop them from being sad. The news especially surprised those who would be a part of Michael's comeback tour, but they decided to wait it out before canceling anything. 

In grief, the remainder of the fans made their way to the hospital as well as Michael's mansion. They gathered around the other fans and started crying. 

“Please tell me that this is not true,” one of the girls said.

“I want to know what's happening in there...wish I could go in there and see for myself,” said another one.

“Let's hope that the news is just a big lie…everything will be okay...it has to be,” a woman said. In actuality, she didn’t believe the news at all, since the media was prone to crying wolf.

This made the crying fans perk up a little bit. “You're right. Let's show our support to Michael the way we always do,” one of them said.

“Will do!” The crowd of screaming fans proceeded to chant: “Michael! Michael! Michael!”  
“We love you, Michael! Please recover soon!” a couple of people said. Then some people started making handwritten signs showing their get well wishes.

While all this was going on, Latoya had finally arrived. When Joe had broken the news to her, she was so overwhelmed with shock that she had to work hard to become strong enough to drive there. And when she saw that some of the fans were crying, that made her start screaming and crying as well. She was afraid that she might have been too late, and her brother might have succumbed to the injury. Also, she was moved by the love the fans showed for him. She ran into the waiting room and saw the Jackson kids in her mother's lap, screaming at the top of their lungs and Lissie wiping tears away. ‘Get a grip, Latoya. Remain optimistic. You do not know anything yet.’

When Latoya had calmed down somewhat, she pulled Lissie aside. She wanted to know what happened. 

“Hey Latoya,” she said. 

“Hi. Can you tell me exactly what happened in the events leading up to this?”

“That I will.” Lissie took a deep breath. “Well you see, I had just come off the computer. I was about to go get dressed to go to rehearsals. Michael was going to come here first, as his back had been giving him pain for quite awhile now. Well when I was about to get dressed, I heard a thud coming from his room. I went in to check on him and he was lying on the floor unconscious and there was a nasty bump on his head and it was bleeding quite a bit.” She cringed slightly mentioning that. “But even though he was unconscious, he was breathing steadily and he felt very warm. I called for his personal EMT, Shelley and she tended to him while I called 911.”

“So was she able to stop the bleeding?”

“Not so much stop it, but she was able to slow it down.”

“I see.” Latoya looked very thoughtful. This Shelley person sounded like she knew what she was doing. She was impressed. For a long time she was afraid that he was surrounded by people who were manipulating him and didn't have his interest at heart. Well, there seemed to be an exception. “So have you guys received an update about Michael's condition?”

“No, not as of yet.”

“Well, let's hope that Shelley's efforts will not be in vain,” said Latoya, wistfully. Part of her was relieved. That meant she was not too late, as she feared. But she hoped that her younger brother would be all right. She knew that she had not always been the best older sister, and she treasured every day she was able to make up for her mistakes. She considered her brother to be special and she didn't want such a life to be snuffed out so soon.

“I hope so too.”  
Just then, a doctor came into the waiting room, unreadable expression on his face. Everyone looked a little apprehensive. 

‘Please don’t tell me Michael died,’ thought Alyssa, unsure of what to make of the doctor’s expression. 

“Mr. Jackson is suffering from severe exhaustion, a strained back muscle and a moderate concussion. His spine is also afflicted with previously undiagnosed sponylosis, a degenerative form of osteoarthritis,” reported the doctor. 

‘Oh. That doesn’t sound too terrible, well with the exception of osteoarthritis.’ Lissie let out a sigh of relief, thankful that the singer hadn't gotten worse. ‘At least I now know the source of his back pain. Too bad it will always hurt.’ She was hopeful he would learn to live with the pain. 

“So will he be all right?” Paris asked in a small little voice.

“That he will. However, he is still unconscious, and so the speed of his recovery will be unknown for 24 to 48 hours. “

“Can we see him?” asked Latoya. 

“You may, but for today, visiting time is limited,” replied the doctor.

That was okay with the kids. They only wanted to understand for themselves how badly he was hurt. Lissie decided that she would go last. After all, she had seen him every day for the past 3 and a half weeks. His mother and sister had not seen him much while she was there.

The older sibling went in the ER to see Michael. At that moment, Jermaine arrived at the hospital, looking slightly grim. He saw some of the fans sniffling and drying tears and holding up signs. He wondered if the news that Michael had died was true, or if it was just another set of false information. He wanted some answers so that he could hold a conference telling the truth. He also wanted to know who the young lady was there, if she was the one Michael mentioned who stayed at the mansion, since he never actually met her. But that could wait. “How is Michael?” he asked Katherine, preparing for some unpleasant news that his younger brother had passed. 

Mrs. Jackson told Jermaine what was said about Michael's condition. “He should make it through all right.” 

The pop star's elder brother was relieved. So Michael was not dead. That was just another malicious rumor. As glad as he was about it, he also felt that the reporters at TMZ and the tabloids had gone too far. This was low, even for them. A law suit was in order here. But first, he needed to know what lead up to this moment so he could give the necessary details when holding the conference.

Lissie was a little bit speechless at first, but she worked up the nerve to finally say something. “Hi there Jermaine. My name is Alyssa, but you can call me Lissie if you want. I don't know if Michael mentioned me to you or not, but I am the one who has been staying at the mansion for the past few weeks.”

“Yes, he has mentioned you to me. It is nice to finally meet you.” 

“Likewise.” The two exchanged a firm handshake.

“So what truly happened with my brother this morning?” Jermaine asked.

Lissie didn't feel like telling from the beginning. So this time she just started from when Michael was getting dressed to come see a doctor about his back and just collapsed, hitting his head in the process and ended with the ambulance arriving.

“I see.” Even though the 54 year old just officially met Lissie, he was grateful to her for clearing up the rumor that his brother had died because there was nothing the doctor could do. Now he could set the record straight. But first, he wanted to see Michael.

Just then, Latoya came out of the room. “He's hanging in there,” she reported. 

The Jackson kids wanted to go next, so Katherine took them inside to see him. It was pretty hard for them to see Michael in such a condition...his head bandaged, an oxygen mask on his face, and his comatose state. And he looked so frail and considerably older than his 50 years. Even so, they held it together. 

Paris walked up to her dad in his hospital bed and held his hand. “Oh daddy, we love you so much...please don't die.” She wasn't sure if he could hear her or not, but she certainly wouldn't be stopped. Katherine smiled at this. Michael sure taught her well. But then again, she didn't expect less from him as a father.

“We're ready, Grandma,” said Prince

.“All right, honey, give me a minute.” She wanted to say something to Michael, too. She went up to him and lightly touched his forehead. “Oh Michael, my poor baby.....I know you can make it...you are a true warrior.” She held his hand briefly and left with her grandchildren. 

“You want to go in next?” Jermaine asked Lissie. 

“Actually I was thinking of going in last. You could go.”

“No, it's okay. You go. I will get ready for the conference, and then I will see him afterwards.”

“Oh. Okay. Well, thanks.” That was really nice of him. She thought he would want to see his brother first. Maybe he wanted to say something to Michael more privately. Even so, she appreciated the kind gesture. So she went to see Michael. She nearly lost it when she saw Michael looking so frail. ‘I hope the media doesn’t see this…I can only imagine how they will take advantage of the situation.” She made an effort to keep her emotions in check. She sat in the chair next to his bed. “Michael, I cannot stay long so I will be brief here. I'm sorry you've hurt yourself so badly, but I am hoping that you will come out of this all right. Don't you worry, I will help look after your children. In the meantime, please pull through. I love you always.” She got choked up telling him that, but she was determined not to cry there. She gently stroked what was visible of his hair, and left the room. 

“Come on, Prince, Paris and Blanket. You three ready?” They nodded.

“Let's go.” She couldn't stand being in there for another minute. She feared she really would start crying. 

With heavy hearts, Lissie and the kids said goodbye to Latoya and Katherine and left the hospital. Lissie wondered how they would cope with being without Michael and more importantly, how to get past the madhouse outside. ‘Good Lord, please help us.’

________________________________________

Later that evening, the news about Michael was still being reported on all the stations. “This is Jane-Velez-Mitchell on Issues tonight. We have new bombshells on the Michael Jackson story including reports that contradict the earlier news, implying that the death announcement was just a hoax. There is an exclusive conference held by Michael's older brother Jermaine. The rumor that he died had created such a frenzy. Legions of fans rushed over to his rented mansion and the hospital and have been showing their support and wishing him well. ”

“We have recently learned that the King of Pop has NOT died but is hospitalized with a concussion and is expected to make a full recovery within a certain period of time. Here is more from the conference that Jermaine held this afternoon,” said Jane.

“My brother, the legendary King of Pop Michael Jackson is still alive at UCLA Medical Center. He was taken there after collapsing and suffering a concussion. His personal EMT was successful in her efforts to stabilize him while waiting for the ambulance. He is receiving the best care he possibly can.”

Jane asked the analyst Lisa Bloom what she made of this brand new set of news.

“Well, I believe it was a misunderstanding since there was very little known about his condition when the incident first occurred. But it is good news that we have not lost another veteran superstar today. Now if he pulls through this as we assume he will, the documentary about his life story will not be necessary.”

“So how do you think the fans will react to this relatively good news?”

“I think they will be overjoyed that they had not lost their idol, and the concerts will go on after all, even if they will be postponed for awhile. They will also be angry at being misled by TMZ.”  
“Well, that just goes to show that one must wait before news like this is confirmed before making it official. Thank you for your input, Lisa!”

The latest news about Michael got to the people involved with the This Is It tour. They were very happy about the fact that the concert didn't have to be canceled after all. They were confident Michael would survive. So the director Kenny Ortega just postponed the tour until further notice.


	16. Chapter 16

(morning-8:15 a.m)

The next day, Alyssa was getting dressed for work, but she was not feeling at her best. She had a hard time sleeping. She hoped she wasn't coming down with insomnia, too. She spent half the night worrying about Michael. By the time she did doze off, it was about time to get up. She was even tempted to call in sick and take the day off from work because she didn't think she would be able to stay focused, and besides, her heart just wasn't in it. She wanted to stay home and keep the kids company so they wouldn't have to be alone. She needed time to deal with the overwhelming stress of Michael’s accident and the media circus she saw while exiting the hospital. 

Shortly after Lissie left the hospital with the children the previous evening, they had started crying again. They already missed their dad, and so did she. Although she had just met him about six weeks prior to this, she felt really empty without his presence since she had gotten so accustomed to it. Instead of going on the internet or calling her friend Shannon, she kept the children’s company by watching the Disney channel with them and reading with them when it was their bedtime. 

‘But then again, work may be just what I need to get my mind off this madness. Hopefully I will be able to function and Stacey will be able to bear with me if I cannot.’ Lissie wondered if the blonde even knew about what happened. If she didn’t, she would have to explain why she looked and felt like hell, which she didn’t particularly care to do. Making up her mind, Lissie grabbed her keys and purse and headed downstairs. She had thoughts about skipping breakfast or at least stopping at McDonald’s for a cup of coffee. She wasn’t expecting to see Kai and even if she were there, she didn’t have much of an appetite. 

But when Lissie walked past the kitchen whilst walking to the dining room, there Kai was, dressed in her apron and pouring glasses of almond milk for Michael’s children, for when they came down for breakfast. ‘What is Kai doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see her, but Michael is in the hospital and I didn’t think the security or assistant would have called her into work under such circumstances. She hid her surprise and said, “Good morning, Kai. “

“Good morning. How are you holding up?”

“I'm trying to hang in there, but it is so hard.” Lissie certainly hoped the stress from the turn of events was not showing too much. 

“I understand the feeling. But it is a relief that the news of Mr. Jackson's death was just a rumor. When I first heard that he was pronounced dead, I was shocked. If he had died, I would have been crushed. ”

Lissie lowered her eyes. ‘I should have known the tabloid reporters would have tried to pull such a thing…anything for money.’ Sure it angered her a bit, but at the same time she didn't expect much from them. After all, throughout the years Michael became successful, they had done everything in their power to hurt his reputation and make his life a living hell. They knew if they did that, they would get lots of money. Unbeknownst to her, justice would be served for this. She just wanted to know more about the pandemonium the day before, as she only saw the crowd, and she was inside the whole time. She didn't know what was said, with the exception of the fans shouting that they loved Michael. “Same here. He has done a lot for me ever since I've met him.”

“So I've noticed.”

“You know something Kai? I was surprised to see you this morning,” Lissie admitted.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I didn't expect to see you here, since Michael is in the hospital. I mean, I thought you would have been given a vacation.”

“Not to worry. I will see to it that you and his children are taken care of, even in his absence.”

Lissie thought that felt nice. Though her cooking skills were not too bad, they were still not the best, though she could manage. It was good that Michael trusted Kai to work even without him...but then again, it was something that was expected of employees at most jobs, to show up for work even when the boss was absent. She knew that all too well. 

Just then, Paris, Prince and Blanket came downstairs. They were a little surprised to see Kai there, too, but they were very happy to see her.

“Kai! You came today!” cried Prince happily.

“Of course I did. I'll always be here for all of you.” Kai had grown extremely fond of the Jackson kids, as well as Lissie. She was glad Michael rehired her. 

“So how are you this morning?”

“I miss Daddy,” answered Paris. 

“Me, too,” agreed Blanket in a small voice. 

“Yeah. I wonder how he is doing,” said Prince. He sure hoped his father would awaken from his coma soon. It was really hard seeing him in that condition.

The chef gave an understanding look. “We all miss him. Let's keep praying that he makes it. “

“How about we work on a Get Well Soon basket after I get home from work?” Lissie suggested. 

“Yeah!”

Lissie knew the kids would like that. And it would show how much they care, plus she was sure Michael would appreciate it, whenever he woke up.

________________________________________

Abigail had just come out of surgery not too long ago. It went as well as a transplant could be expected. She was now resting in the recovery room. She really wanted to go to see Michael, as she, like the other patients had heard the news about him being brought to the hospital the day before, but she wasn't strong enough to go anywhere yet. She was extremely worried about him, though, as she had heard the commotion outside. She wasn't really sure what happened to him. All she knew was that people were outside chanting his name, that they loved him, and screaming for him to get well soon, which gave her the impression that something terrible had happened. She hadn't put it past the media to create a circus out of this. She was dying to know how he was presently, so her mother had told her that she would find out for her which room the pop superstar was in, and how he was doing. 

That sounded good enough to Abby since she wasn’t sure she could trust the media and her mother didn’t like her to listen to media coverage anyway. She hoped he was all right and that he would survive from this. She really looked up to him as a humanitarian, and as a person. ‘After all, had it not been for him, I would have probably been dead by now.’ 

It was maddening not being strong enough to go anywhere. Suddenly an idea came to the red head. There was some stationery paper and a pen on the table that she had asked her mother to get for her in case she wanted to write. She thought about writing a letter to Michael, as she didn’t see how she would be able to see him before he was discharged from the hospital. ‘Yes, that’s what I’ll do. It is one way to thank him and wish him well, as well as give him an update on my progress.’ That was one thing that didn't require much exercise. 

Abby got a sheet of paper. She picked up her pen and wrote:

Dear Michael, 

I have just come out of the operation. I made it through okay. I still have to take steroids, though. Just wanted to thank you for everything you have done for me. I couldn't have gotten this treatment without your help. You mean the world to me. You have given me strength when I didn't have any. I'm so sorry you were hurt. I am hoping you will be able to pull through, and I am sure you will. You are a warrior. Get well soon! I love you from the bottom of my heart!

All the best, Abby

Just then, Abby's mom reentered the room.   
“So, how is Michael?” asked Abby.  
“He's still unconscious. He's in serious but in stable condition,” Mrs. Churchill answered.

“I see.” Abby was hoping Michael would have come out of the coma by now, but as long as his condition was stable she could live with that. “I have just finished writing him a thank you/get well soon note. I want him to know how much I appreciate what he did.”

“Oh, that's kind of you. And you just reminded me of what I should do as well.”

At that moment, a doctor came into the room with a steroid needle. It was time for Abby's medication. “Starting tomorrow, I'm going to hook you up to an IV machine to see how you respond to that particular treatment,” he declared. 

Abby fought the urge to shudder. She used to have such a fear of needles and had been forced to get over the fear ever since she was diagnosed with the SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus), as most treatments involved needles. And even now she wasn't completely comfortable with the idea. Mrs. Churchill was proud of her for being brave about this. She concluded that Michael was beginning to have an influence on her...and it was a good one.

________________________________________

The day at work seemed to drag by, but finally it ended. Alyssa was surprised that she functioned as well as she did. She didn't expect that she would be lucid and conscious under the circumstances, which was why she had wanted to stay home in the first place. Of course, she did think and worry about Michael every now and then, but she wasn't the wreck she thought she would be. And Stacey did spend time comforting her, which she appreciated. In fact, she even thought the media was a disgrace for what they did, and told Lissie to send Michael her get well wishes when she went to visit him. She thought she owed him that, since he was so nice to her when she met him. 

“See you Monday, Stacey,” said Lissie, getting her brief case. 

“See ya. Call me if you need anything or if you just want some company.”

“I might do that,” Lissie called over her shoulder as she let herself out. She wasn't sure how long it would be before Michael's absence really got to her. She was dealing pretty well so far, but it didn't really sink in yet. She could only deal with it for so long. She was bound to break down sooner or later. She nearly did at the hospital, but was trying to be strong for the kids. And if it were not for them, she probably would have stayed at Anastasia's house longer, since she would not have been in a rush to get home. But she promised that she would help them put together a Get Well Soon basket. ‘I am sure they want it done as soon as possible, and I cannot say I blame them. ‘ She didn't like the idea of leaving them alone in the first place. She decided to make a quick stop at the floral shop before going home.

Blanket was sitting at the table writing something, and Paris was leaning over his shoulder. She was trying to help him make a get well card...at least with the writing part. She was making sure he spelt the words correctly. 

Prince walked over to his younger siblings, holding a piece of paper. It was a picture he had just finished drawing. “Hey sis, look at what I just finished drawing for Dad,” he said.

“Hang on just a second, Blanket. You're doing great so far.” Paris took a look at the drawing. It was a picture of Prince's favorite Star Wars characters. “Looks great. Daddy will love it.” 

“Glad you think so. So what are you gonna do for him?” 

“Write him a poem. I'm gonna work on it after I am done helping Blanket.” Paris had also recently purchased a necklace that had a pendant in the shape of a heart. It was the type that could be separated. She thought about giving half of it to her daddy so it would be like a piece of her was with him while he was in the hospital. 

“Cool. I hope I get to read it. You're so great at poetry, I am sure it will be good.”

“That you will! And thank you.” 

Prince left Paris to continue helping Blanket.

Just then, the door opened and shut, then a, “Paris, Blanket and Prince, I'm home!” was heard. It was Lissie, who had just come home.

“Hi, Lissie!”

“I’ll be with you in a little while!”

“Okay!”

Lissie was dying to know all the details of the chaos the day before, about the media frenzy and how her Facebook friends were handling it. She turned on her laptop and went onto Facebook. Her friends' status ranged from concern regarding Michael's slight catastrophe, grief that he was pronounced dead, confusion over whether he really died or not, and delight that he was still alive and expected to make a recovery. They were also furious that the media pulled something like this, but at the same time it didn't really surprise them. Most of them were so angry that they swore. She didn't blame them, but she had to witness what was said with her own two ears, even though she would be just as angry as her friends were. 

'I so hope I don't regret this,' thought the young woman as she searched for videos of the news. There were quite a few of them. She clicked on the one titled “Michael Jackson Dies at age 50 from Unspecified Injury” and watched. As she watched, a feeling of displeasure filled her. ‘My Lord! Some people have no shame!’ She needed not say how far from the truth it was because it pretty much spoke for itself. By the end of the video, she was stunned in a way, but not so much since she knew how the media was. Now she knew not to trust TMZ for news. She watched a couple of other videos where the news was given by other sources, and there was a bunch of confusion. And the fans crying broke her heart. She did, however, applaud the other stations for not confirming this news when they didn't know all of the facts. And of course, some people were rude about it and seemed angry that the singer had a great chance of survival. ‘Such losers. They need to get over themselves.’ There were some fan made music videos that fans dedicated to him as a get well present and to show how much they cared for him. She took a look at some of them, and found them to be quite touching. 

Now that the answers to Lissie’s questions were answered, she wrote her message on the card, and brought it and the flowers downstairs. She was sure the children were making cards of their own, but she had wanted to get one that would be signed from all of them. She went into the den, and saw that the Jackson kids had started putting together the Get Well Soon basket. There were handmade cards, one of Michael's favorite novels, and half of a very beautiful heart shaped pendant.

“Nice work so far. I bought some flowers and a card that will be from all of us,” said Lissie. 

“They're very pretty. What a thoughtful gift,” commented Paris. She and her brothers were so juiced with working on the basket that they were able to take their minds off of missing Michael so much...at least for the moment.

“I'm glad you think so.” Lissie passed the card around for all 3 of them to sign. They did, and handed it back to her. She skimmed the messages quickly. They were all nice, but she liked Paris' note the best. It read: You're the best father ever. You mean the world to me. Please feel better. I don't know what I'd do without you. From your princess, Paris. There was a heart drawn next to her name. 

Paris’ message made tears start to well up in Lissie’s eyes. She quickly placed the card into the basket just in case the teardrop fell. She didn’t want it to smudgy up the message. Luckily, she was able to fight them. “So is there anything else you would like to add to the basket?”

“No, that's it.”

“All right. Let's go visit your daddy, then.” She was so anxious to see if the superstar had improved since the previous day, and she was sure the kids would want to know as well. They had prayed so long and hard that he would.

 

________________________________________

Michael was lying in his hospital bed, still unconscious. He was steadily improving in spite of this. The bleeding brought on by the concussion had ceased. It was not in the area where he was burned in the Pepsi commercial those many years ago, and he was considered lucky for that. Doctors decided that if he kept it up, they would remove the oxygen mask as early as the next morning. Until then, they would continue to monitor his progress.

Just then, Lissie entered the room with Prince, Paris and Blanket. He still looked pretty much the same to them...but they held it together, even though it was hard to see him like that. Lissie and the Jackson children gathered around Michael's hospital bed. Paris went first. “Oh Daddy, I love you very much, and I miss you,” she said to his comatose form. She reached into the basket and took out the second half of the pendant. She looked to see how she would be able to get the heart on him. She really wanted to put it around his neck, but she didn't see how she would be able to. She didn't want to move him from his position. So she settled on putting it on his wrist. Lissie watched her do this. She had wondered what the heart was doing in there, now she knew. She thought it was a very sweet thing to do. 

“Now you know that a part of me will be with you while you're here,” said Paris. “Please get better soon.”

‘Aww.’ Once again, Lissie had to fight back tears. She always felt deeply about beautiful, touching things. 

“We love you, Daddy,” said Prince.

“Very much,” added Blanket. 

Lissie gently stroked the pop star's hair. “We have something for you from all of us. I hope you wake up soon so you could see it. You'll love it.”

Michael wondered what was going on. He felt like he was in pitch blackness, yet he could still hear everyone. And the voices sounded familiar. They belonged to Lissie and his kids. It was kind of hard to follow everything that was being said, but what he did follow sounded so loving, so caring. ‘Where am I? And why does my head hurt?’ The throbbing in his head was extremely vicious. His back ached too, which was no surprise to him, since it had bothered him a lot lately. He was only surprised that the pain was even more severe than he recalled. The hand that stroked his hair was a very soothing feeling. Slowly, he opened his eyes. He saw Lissie and his kids standing over him. They were so happy to see that he was awake.

“Look, everyone, he's awake!” stated the young woman. 

“Oh, Daddy, you're going to be okay,” said Paris, tears of joy coming to her eyes.

“We were so scared you weren't going to make it,” chimed Prince. 

All the pop icon could do was blink, as the oxygen mask was still on his face. But that was okay. He had come out of his coma.


	17. Chapter 17

For the next two days, Alyssa was dealing with Michael's absence pretty well, since his condition had continued to improve after he awoke. That was, until Sunday night. On the night before, she had a nightmare that was really disturbing. Even though it was just a dream, it felt extremely real...too real to just ignore. In the dream, a doctor had given Michael the wrong pain medication and it caused his heart to stop. A team of doctors had tried everything in their power to restart it, but his condition worsened and he died. She felt the dream was trying to tell her that Michael would not be all right, that he would die soon. 'Oh no, this cannot be true,' was her reaction. After all, when she had visited him the day before, he was in very good spirits and had gotten even better. She had to bite her lip to keep from screaming in her sleep. However, the thought was so distressing that for the first time since Michael was admitted to hospital, she really fell apart. She had cried in her sleep, but was careful to keep her sobs muffled so she wouldn’t wake up the children.

During breakfast time, Alyssa’s eyes started to get teary, which she didn’t want Kai or the Jackson children to see. ‘Oh great. Now they’re gonna see me crying and I would have to explain why.’ “I need to be excused for a minute. I will be right back. “ 

“All right,” said Kai. 

Lissie bowed her head down so Kai and the children couldn’t see how upset she was. She stood up and quickly ran up the stairs, into the bathroom. She took a look at herself in the mirror and saw that both her eyes and face were blotchy red. ‘Oh I look so horrible. At this rate I’m gonna get wrinkles.’ She turned on the water, cupped her hands beneath it and started splashing her face. She then got a wash cloth, wiped her face and dried it. She didn't want the Jackson children to know she had been crying, lest they would start crying again. They had been coping pretty well, considering the circumstances. ‘Oh boy…I hope I can keep it together at work today.’

Looking quite a bit better, Lissie headed back downstairs to finish her breakfast.

“Lissie, you okay?” asked Kai. “You seemed a bit upset.”

“I had a bad dream last night but it's nothing to worry about.” She didn't really want to talk about it. Not in front of the children.

“Well if you care to talk about it I am here.”

“All right. Thanks.” She wasn't so sure if she was going to talk about it, but she was grateful for the offer. If she did take her up on it, she would do so later, like when the kids were playing outside or something.

“Of course. You have been a wonderful person to Mr. Jackson, and for that I am grateful to you.”

 

________________________________________

(at the hospital)

Michael was sitting up in his hospital bed, several pillows supporting his back. It was still pretty stiff and sore even though he was just given pain medication for it. For him it felt so good to be able to sit up, considering that for the past 2 ½ days he had been laying flat on his back. It was part of his treatment for the exhaustion, to get intravenous amounts of rest. The hospital staff had been pretty strict about that. He knew it was only for the best, but lying down in that position for such a long time had become tiresome. He had gotten quite a few visits, calls, cards and gifts from his fans, family and close friends and he really appreciated it. He felt like he was blessed to have so many people showing him love, kindness and support. Even his father had visited him once, which was kind of a surprise, since he imagined it would be difficult for him to see him that way. But Joe didn't stay long, though, which was fine with him. Although for the first time the singer hadn’t felt queasy seeing his dad, he wasn’t going to be taking any chances.

Michael took a look at the note Abigail wrote to him. He was glad the procedure was as successful as it could be. ‘I wish I could see her, but unfortunately it is out of the question right now, since I still have to stay put.’ And she wasn't strong enough to come and see him, either. All the kind words made him a little teary-eyed, they meant so much to him. They also helped him to ignore the malicious people who misjudged him and didn’t have his best interest at heart. He could only imagine what garbage the tabloids and the media reported about this incident, although he didn't really care to. They could be so disgusting. He couldn't understand how people could be so mean-spirited. Oh, well. He couldn't waste time dwelling on that.

Just then, a young lady with long brunette hair entered the room holding a basket. He presumed she was another fan of his, which she was. And she was also someone he invited to Neverland many years ago. She hoped he remembered her so she wouldn't feel like she made a fool of herself.

“Hey there, Michael. You remember me? My name is Eileen,” she said.

'Eileen......' The name vaguely rang a bell with the singer, but he wasn't really sure why. He couldn't quite place her because she didn't look familiar...except for the hair. “I'm sorry...your name does sound familiar, but...where have we met?” His voice was almost back to normal at that point.

‘Oh. Well at least he knows my name. That means plan B is sure to jog his memory.’ “I spent time at your ranch years ago. I still have the pictures of that visit.” Eileen reached into the basket and pulled out a handful of pictures. Some of them were taken of her at the amusement park, and some she had gotten to pose with him. She showed them to Michael. As he looked through them, memories of her came back to him. The visit had occurred sometime in the Dangerous era. Oh, did she look grown up now.

Eileen watched the pop star look at the pictures, desperately hoping that she jogged his memory with them. She was glad when he said, “I do remember. This was 1992. It has been such a long time.”

“That it has been. Ever since that day, I have been thinking of you and keeping up with the events going on in your life. It is so good to see you again, though if I had my way about it, I would not have wanted to see you here.”

Michael felt the same way, although at first he did not recognize her. “That's good to hear. I had been thinking of you as well, and wondering what you have been doing with your life.”

“Oh, I am a professional artist and clothes designer now,” she told the singer.

“Wow. That is wonderful. I wish you all the best.” The pop king was such a sucker for beautiful art and creativity.

“Thank you so much. By the way, I am so sorry about your accident. How do you feel now?”

“I'm still hurting. But I'm dealing with it the best I can.”

“Well, that's good.” The brunette felt bad that he was in pain, but at least he was alive. It had taken her awhile to get over the shock and anger that came over her when TMZ said he was dead. She nearly had a heart attack when she heard that. It just didn't seem right to her that one minute the media would say he was hospitalized and minutes later he was reported as dead. Especially considering that it first came from a news source that she did not trust at all. She previously had very little respect for TMZ before and now that Michael's brother Jermaine told the truth, she had absolutely NO respect for the reporters. They were more odious than she previously suspected. “I've brought you something. Hopefully it will help cheer you up.” She handed him the basket.

“Thank you so much. God bless you.” Michael looked at the gifts inside the basket. Inside it was a long sleeved black shirt with sequin decorations and stuff that said things like We Love You Michael, You Are My Angel, Michael Joe Jackson Will Always Be King of Pop and some get well wishes on it, a very large card which contained signatures from numerous people, an apricot, some glazed donuts, and one of Michael's favorite milk chocolates. Michael's eyes filled with tears. This was so nice and thoughtful of her. And he especially loved the shirt. He could see how talented an artist she was.

“Did you make this shirt?” he asked.

Eileen nodded proudly. “That I did. Do you like it?”

“I love it. You did such a great job. And thanks for the apricots, donuts and chocolate.”

The 25 year old decided to flirt a little. “You're welcome. Anything for my angel.”

The singer couldn't help but giggle a bit at that.

“Excuse me, miss.”

Eileen nearly jumped a mile at the gruff voice. She turned around and saw a doctor looking at his watch. “Your visitation is over. Mr. Jackson needs his rest.”

Michael fought the urge to groan at this. The doctors were so strict. All he did was rest. He could get bored with that rather quickly. He was so glad that Lissie and his family were on the list of people who could visit anytime they wanted to.

But Eileen did not mind. She was just glad she got to give the gift to her idol. “Well, looks like I'd better get going. I hope you feel better. I love you very much. “

“I love you more. Thank you for the wishes and once again for the gifts. It was good seeing you again after all those years.”

“Likewise. Goodbye. Will visit you again soon.” She bent over and hugged him gently. He hugged her, just the same.

“Take care of yourself. Goodbye.”

“Will do.” She gave him the peace sign and with that she left the room.

________________________________________

(London)

Alison was on her way to her first day of work. She didn't feel much like working. She was still depressed about Michael. Although she was glad that he hadn't died, she knew the concert dates would be pushed back quite a bit, and the new date was indefinite. So it could be at least two months before they began. She had been looking forward to those concerts for a long while. And her hatred for most media outlets, which was strong enough, had intensified thanks to the stunt the reporters at TMZ pulled. So she didn't watch anymore of the news stations after that day. She turned on the radio to see what the news was saying.

'The pop star Michael Jackson is still hospitalized and is improving steadily. He has received visits from numerous celebrity friends and fans. Fans from all over the world have dedicated dance videos to him to the songs he is set to perform at the London concerts. News on when those concerts will begin is still unknown. A dedication concert is in the works by his siblings. This concert will feature many of the most successful artists as well as musicians that Jackson has worked with. Details on the date of this concert will be coming as soon as we get more information. Also there has been another interesting twist of events. One of Jackson's accusers, Jordan Chandler has come forth and apologized to the singer, saying that he lied about the allegations, and his father had forced him to accuse Jackson sixteen years ago. Jordan, now 29, has videotaped this message and it will be shown on World News Tonight. Now that he doesn't have contact with his father, he says he plans to return the money that Jackson had paid in the civil-out of court settlement. If this is true, it looks like Jackson was 100% innocent of the crime and he will be shown in a new light. If these concerts go according to plan, it looks like his name will no longer be tarnished.’

'It's about time,' Allie thought, regarding the news about Jordan Chandler. She wondered what was taking him so long. For many years she despised him and his father for ruining Michael's life. She applauded him for being out of touch with his father eventually because of the way he was abused. She mellowed a bit in her hatred, though, since Jordan was under the influence of a controversial sedative that made people blatantly tell lies. She knew there was not much he could do in that case, and it was dirty of Evan to brainwash him that way. But she also knew it took a lot for someone to break free from manipulations, and to take responsibility for what he/she did. But she was also a little bit cynical about the accuser's motive for the apology, though, because it came right after the singer had to be hospitalized. ‘He is lucky Michel survived…otherwise his apology would mean nothing. I wonder if the Arvisos will do the same. After all, they caused Michael far more pain than the Chandler have.’ She thought it was really nice of Michael's family to dedicate a concert to him. She was looking forward to seeing how it would be put together and watching it, whenever it took place.

________________________________________

After work that afternoon, Alyssa drove straight to the hospital to see Michael. Naturally she would go home first to spend a little time with the kids and they all would visit together, but not this time. She was too worried for Michael to do that. She did, however, call Kai on her cell phone to let her know she wouldn't be home right away and to let the Paris and her siblings know, just so they wouldn't worry.

‘Oh, I hate to do this. I hope Paris and her brothers won’t be too mad at me for visiting their dad without them, but I cannot help it. Michael could be dying. ‘ A terrible thought came to her that she might be too late and Michael might be already dead. The feelings that the dream left her with were too strong to just shrug off. She spent the whole time at work worrying about this...so much so that for the first time since the incident occurred, she had a hard time being alert. And she had a hard time keeping her emotions in check. Although Anastasia tried her hardest to comfort her by assuring her it was only a dream, she didn't feel much better. Luckily, Stacey was understanding and patient about it. She had even told her to let her emotions out if she had to and not worry about embarrassing herself in public. Well, Lissie brought a towel with her just in case she needed to. She had never driven so fast in her life. She usually just drove the speed limit and this time she exceeded it by 5 miles. She parked in the driveway of the hospital, and when she saw no cars coming, she raced inside, and briskly jogged through the halls. She could feel people staring at her for how frantic she seemed, but she didn't care. Once outside Michael's hospital room, she slowed down a bit. She was panting by then. She took a deep breath, dabbed at her eyes a bit, and then walked inside. She saw that Michael was lying down, not necessarily sleeping but resting. She sat in the chair next to his bed and held one of his slightly discolored hands. It was still extremely warm, but that wasn't enough to take her fears away.

“Michael.....” Lissie began in a wavery voice, “I am glad your condition keeps on improving every time I visit you, but just in case that begins to change, I want to tell you something while I still have the chance. I want to thank you for all you've done for me ever since we've met. You're so much like a second father to me, and you are such a wonderful friend as well. And I was happy that I was able to help you in any way I could. When you were hurt, I was devastated. Not to worry, I will keep on helping to look after your children. I am so glad I got to know you. Nothing will change the way I feel about you. Oh Michael..........”

Saying those words and the fact that the dream kept coming back to her, not to mention his children's sadness, made her unable to fight the tears any longer. She let go of his hand, buried her head near his shoulder, and started to.......sob. She felt like she really needed to let out all the heartache. She cried so much that she could feel a headache coming on. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him, and she didn't want the kids to be without a father at such tender ages.

Such grief, such heartache........all of this was too much for the crooner to bear. The doom and gloom speech was bad enough, but Lissie's crying he equated to seeing a child suffer, even though she was a young woman. He didn't think tears suited her at all, especially not when she sounded so anguished. He proceeded to stroke her head, and adjusted the bed so he was sitting up. He wrapped his arms around her. She buried her head in his shoulder and wept some more. It felt so good for her to let her emotions out. ‘Sheesh, I’m so pathetic! I had better stop or my headache will get worse or I’ll turn into a prune.’ She did manage to calm down, sort of—at least enough so her voice would be under control. “Why are you crying?” he asked.

At this point Lissie's crying subsided a bit. She dried her eyes and took a few deep breaths. “Oh, Michael, I am so scared for you,” she answered, sniffling. She told him about the dream she had the night before.

Oh. No wonder she was upset. He would feel the same. But he wanted her to know he was still there. “It's only a dream. This injury will not kill me.”

She wanted to believe him, but she never knew what would happen. “I hope not. I don't know what I will do without you. You mean the world to me, and you deserve to be around your children for a long time.”

“It's all right. Please don't cry. It hurts me to see you this way.” Michael so wanted to make her feel better, and for her to see that he was still there. He proceeded to sing his version of Charlie Chaplin's song, Smile to her.

 

Smile, though your heart is aching  
Smile, even though it's breaking  
When there are clouds in the sky  
You'll get by...

If you smile  
With your fear and sorrow  
Smile and maybe tomorrow  
You'll find that life is still worthwhile  
If you just...

Light up your face with gladness  
Hide every trace of sadness  
Although a tear may be ever so near  
That's the time you must keep on trying  
Smile, what's the use of crying  
You'll find that life is still worthwhile  
If you just...

Smile, though your heart is aching  
Smile, even though it's breaking  
When there are clouds in the sky  
You'll get by...

If you smile  
Through your fear and sorrow  
Smile and maybe tomorrow  
You'll find that life is still worthwhile  
If you just smile...

That's the time you must keep on trying  
Smile, what's the use of crying  
You'll find that life is still worthwhile  
If you just smile

 

His soft, tenor voice was so euphoric. Lissie felt a little better. If only she could try to smile in a situation like this. “All right. I'll do it for you.”

“Good. And know that no matter what happens, I will be with you.”

“Thanks, Michael. I love you very much.”

“I love you more.”


	18. Chapter 18

________________________________________

Saturday came, and Alyssa and Michael's kids were excited. It was the day that Michael was going to be coming home from the hospital. He had been there for slightly more than a week, and in his absence, they missed him quite a bit. So when the doctor had told them he was coming home that day, they were overjoyed. Sure, they had visited him a lot and spent as much time with him as they could, but it still wasn't the same. When Lissie saw that Michael's progress was steady and he looked better every time she visited him, her fears of losing him vanished. She now knew it was only a meaningless nightmare designed to shake her faith. She had eventually told Prince, Paris and Blanket about the nightmare, and they were so happy that it didn't come true. They couldn't imagine life without him...not this soon, anyway. The doctor had informed them that he would be on bed rest for 3 more days and then he would start physical therapy with a chiropractor that would last for about 5 weeks. That meant he would be able to resume his rehearsals and travel to London in the middle of August and begin concerts as early as his 51st birthday. He even consented to reducing the number of concerts back to its original 10, and to his surprise, Randy Phillips and Kenny Ortega agreed that he should. It was what he had wanted to do in the first place, and doctors had told him it was a wise decision. 

Lissie was in the den, helping the children make decorations for when Michael came home, as well as for a surprise welcome home party. The welcome home party was Paris' idea, and the staff members agreed to assist. In fact, they thought the idea of a party was an excellent idea. Guests included Janet, who had came just come to LA two days ago, Latoya, the Jackson brothers, Liz Taylor, the This Is It crew and a few other close friends. The party was due to start in forty-five minutes, so they had to hurry. They had already completed their morning chores, so all they had to do was decorate and get dressed in more party-like attire. They were also trying to make the couch in the den more comfy for when Michael rested in there. He wouldn't be ready to climb stairs yet.

“Hey Lissie, what do you think of this?” asked Paris. She was working on a welcome home banner.

The young woman took a look at the banner. Paris had chosen the colors blue and red. She loved the choices.

“Looks great,” she said. “Now let's get it up.” She got a chair to stand up on, because although she was a little taller, she still wasn't tall enough to reach the top. She was a bit timid about this, since she was slightly afraid that she would fall off. She tentatively stood up on the chair. Paris watched, looking slightly worried. ‘Lissie, please be careful.’ She didn't want another person dear to her to land in the hospital.

Lissie was trying her best to fix the banner so it wouldn't look crooked, but doing that while standing in a position on the chair so she didn't lose her balance was proving to be difficult. 'Oh great, how I am going to fix this, don't want it to rip or anything,' she thought. Finally she gave up. She realized she and Paris couldn't do it alone. “Be right back, Paris. Gonna get someone to help get this banner up. You keep on decorating.”

“Okay.” Paris thought that was a good idea. She was a little afraid Lissie would fall.

Lissie went to find a security to help. Some of them were even taller than Michael so they would easily be able to put up the banner.

________________________________________

(the hospital)

Michael was getting ready for his release. The bandage had been removed from his head, and he was on his feet again. However, he was still not completely steady on his feet, was still a little shaky, so he would have to use a cane for awhile, which he was just given the day before. Before he left, he decided to visit Abigail. He wasn't able to visit her the whole time he was there. That was hard for him, since he was a bit worried for her. But he was glad to be able to do it now. He wondered how she was now. Even with the cane, he still walked a bit stiffly. He still wasn't one hundred percent healed from the exhaustion yet, and his back was still feeling stiff and sore. He was somewhat devastated to learn the pain would never completely go away because of arthritis, but he was hopeful his visits to the chiropractor would at least make the pain manageable. The quicker he healed, the sooner he would be able to go back to rehearsing. Not being able to do that for weeks was going to be a little bit hard for him but it happened before. It was getting pretty old so he was glad this would be his last tour.

It was one of Abby's better days, considering that the previous day was subpar for her. She had a low-grade fever that left her virtually bedridden…more so than she was. But her temperature had dropped a little, and she was actually sitting up…with the help of pillows propping her up. She thought a little bit about Michael. She didn't know exactly when he would be released, but she figured it would be very soon. From what she heard, he was doing pretty well. She hoped he would come to see her before he was discharged.

Well, she was in luck. At that very moment, he walked in. She was glad to see that he was on his feet, even if he was using a cane. It pained her to see him walking a bit sluggishly, and he was a bit thinner, but she was sure he would be back to normal in no time at all. He was such a fighter. He sat in the chair, next to her bed and gently stroked her head.

Abby made an effort to not look as drained as she felt. “Hi Michael,” she said.

“Hi there. How are you feeling?”

“A little tired, but otherwise better than I have in awhile. How about you? Are you still hurting?”

“That I am, but not as much as before. Just my back.”

“Oh I see.” Abby never liked hearing of the singer being in pain, but she was glad that he was improving. “Well, keep on fighting and you'll get through it soon.”

“Thank you. Same to you.” He knew that her form of lupus grew worse with time, and death was inevitable. He wasn't looking forward to that. He said a lot of prayers for the red head that it wouldn't deteriorate rapidly and now he was just being patient for the results. He hoped she would pull through and the deterioration of her lupus would be delayed as long as possible. He didn't want her to lose the battle to it so soon.

“I'll try my best.” Before then, she had been looking at death, but she knew that miracles did happen, so she was going to take it a day at a time.

Just then, a doctor came in to run more tests to see how Abigail's progress was. Michael decided that he'd better leave, just in case the doctor kicked him out. It was about time for him to be leaving the hospital anyway. He arose from the chair, with some difficulty. “I will see you later. You take care of yourself.” He lightly patted her on the head. He wanted to hug her, but he would need to bend over for that, and it would not be wise to do with his back injury. That was one of the things what made it hurt most.

“That I will. You, too.” Abby briefly held Michael's hand. “I love you so much.”

“I love you more, Abby.” He lightly squeezed her hand, and left the room to go get his stuff.

Soon, he was done and it was time for him to be leaving. A nurse was waiting for him outside his room with a wheelchair. He had no qualms using it, because although he was strong enough to be on his feet again, he still couldn’t stand up for long periods of time. He gingerly sat in the chair, and she wheeled him towards the exit.

“Well, Mr. Jackson, it was an honor meeting you in person and I am glad your life was saved,” she said.

“Likewise.” He had a fear of growing old, but on the other hand, he didn't want to leave his friends and loved ones, either.

“However,” the nurse continued, “I do not like the idea of seeing you in a place like this. So you take care of yourself, all right?”

“Yes, ma'am.” Michael burst out laughing, but a part of him wondered if she talked to all of her patients that way or if she was saying that just because he was the King of Pop. Whatever the reason was, he was glad to heed her order.

“Good. I don't want you to be taken away from your fans, friends and family anytime soon.” She wheeled him outside .There were reporters, crowds of fans, cameramen, and paparazzi gathered around the hospital, probably waiting to film him, get the latest scoop on his discharge so it could be covered on the news, and undoubtedly to try and interview him. He was not thrilled about it one bit. He needed to recover from this mishap. The last thing he needed was another media circus causing trouble. He was still a bit outraged about the last stunt they pulled...spreading rumors that he was dead and he was in frail health. He didn't see it on media television or read the tabloids, but he had heard about it from Alyssa, as she told him about what was said during one of her visits with him. He thought enough was enough and they went too far. It was good news Jermaine had filed a law suit against them because that meant he wouldn't have to do it. He would have considered it, since he actually did it before. He filed a suit against them years ago for distorting his appearance in one of the tabloids, and it seemed like they didn't learn their lesson. He wasn't really sure of how he would put an end to it yet, but he felt it needed to stop.

Fortunately for Michael, his chauffeur was waiting for him in his black SUV, so that meant he could avoid the media.

“Michael! Hey Michael! We love you!” a couple of fan girls screamed.

He responded by waving and blowing a kiss at them. Although he wasn't very happy about the media being there, he was glad to see the fans. They stood by him in all of his darkest hours, and he didn't know what he would do without them. He was moved by such loyalty.

One of the reporters was about to try and interview the star about his condition and paparazzi and cameramen had their cameras focused on him. Before reporters could ask him anything, two men came out of the car. They helped Michael out of the wheelchair and inside the vehicle. The door was shut and the chauffeur drove away. They escaped paparazzi and reporters, but just narrowly. Too bad they couldn't escape being filmed.

 

________________________________________

By that very minute, Michael's hospital discharge was being reported on the news. They hadn't changed their style of journalism very much since the accident. However, some journalists on certain stations had started to use close friends of the Jackson family as part of their sources whenever they spoke out, so there would be some truth out.

“The King of Pop, Michael Jackson has just been released from the hospital a little while ago. It appears that he still has a long way to go. He still looks very sickly and frail, even though it is said that he had been improving steadily while hospitalized,” a woman on MSNBC said. “The new date for his This Is It concerts to begin is set tentatively for his 51st birthday, and the amount of concerts has been reduced to its original ten he had intended to do. What do you make of this vast reduction of the amount of concerts?”

A man who was on that panel replied, “Well, frankly I had my doubts about whether he would be able to handle 50 concerts in the first place, before his injury occurred. I mean, the man is 50 years old and you have to remember that he has had chronic pain for well over a decade and there is only so much more his body can take. That is what triggered the painkiller addiction that has resurfaced on and off during the years. I'd say this is a smart decision.”

“I have to agree. However, do you think this accident happened on purpose so he could get out of these concerts, like a little kid wanting to skip school?”

Another woman thought that was a little bit unfair. “Sure Jackson is rather unstable and eccentric, but I do not believe he is one to back out of something like that. He loves his fans and he seemed enthusiastic about doing this tour, and he doesn't seem like one to let his fans and his kids down on purpose.”

“Thank you for your input. We will keep you posted on this story.”

A fan was rather angry about the addiction part. She felt like screaming at them, “Don't you know what addiction really means?!” But she was sure it wouldn't do any good, since the answer was obviously no.

________________________________________

(the mansion)

All of the guests for the party had already arrived and were now waiting for the chauffeur to return from picking up Michael from the hospital. The kids and Lissie were excited...they couldn't wait. They couldn't wait to surprise him with this party and show him how much they cared for him and how happy they were to have him home. They were eager to see what he would think of his surprise.

Just as Paris and her brothers thought they would go crazy waiting, a car was heard pulling in. A very familiar sounding one. It was the sound of the SUV.

“Hey, Lissie,” Prince whispered, “Go greet him and lead him in here while we stay with the guests. Don't tell him about the surprise. Just tell him to come in here.”

“Got it.” But inwardly, Lissie was rolling her eyes. As if she planned to blab about what they accomplished before it was time. She was pretty good at keeping secrets when she had to and she didn't want to ruin the surprise. She went to the door and peeked outside. Sure enough, it was the SUV and a familiar figure was being helped out of the car...Michael. She watched as he painstakingly made his way to the door, assisted by the use of his cane. She opened the door and he walked inside.

“Hi Michael. Welcome home.” She hugged him carefully, being careful of his back.

“It's so good to be home.” Then he realized something and frowned slightly. He didn't hear anything. The house seemed empty, except for Lissie. “Where is everybody?” he asked, confused.

“You'll see. Come with me.” She took him by the hand, and led him to the den.

“SURPRISE!!” everyone shouted. “SURPRISE!”

Michael was speechless. There was the beautifully decorated den, and his crew in the This Is It concerts, two of his sisters, his brothers and Liz and a few of his other close friends...and of course his children. And a very scrumptious smell was coming from the kitchen...the smell of Mexican food.

“What is this?” he asked.

Paris grinned. “We just wanted to show how much we love you and how glad we are that you're home. We missed you. “ She and her brothers crowded around their father and hugged him. He hugged them back.

“I've missed you all, too.”

“Surprised?” Liz asked.

“You bet I am.” And he really was. He didn't expect to come home to this. It was so kind of them. Suddenly his eyes were filled with tears. He felt so loved. He could forget about all the stress he went through at the moment.


	19. Chapter 19

Three days later, Michael was off bed rest and on his feet again. He was still not at 100 % yet, but at least he had recovered from the exhaustion and was strong enough so that he no longer needed the cane. Alyssa was really tempted to take a day off from work to help tend to him, since she wasn't sure how much she could really trust Shelley. Although the older woman had done an exceptional job with the first aid, one could never be too careful. In the end, she had decided Michael would be in good hands with the children and assistant around. 

Michael was preparing to give a videotaped message to thank all of the fans for all their calls, visits and prayers while he was hospitalized, as well as give them an update on his status—especially his fans in London. He felt bad about disappointing them, but at the same time he wanted to be at his absolute best for this concert tour. Though he was not much of a speech giver, he was almost glad to give this one. He wanted them to know how much he appreciated their kind words and their love and support. He was sure they were eager to know how he was doing, as chances were the media was lying or giving half truths at best. And the message would be given from home, so that added to his comfort zone.

Hair and makeup in place, the singer sat on the couch with pillows supporting his back, ready for film. His photographer set up the camera. “Quiet on the set. Ready?”

“Yes I am.”

“One, two, three, and action.” The camera was turned on, and Michael looked into it, proceeding to give his message. “Hello to my fans all over the world. I just wanted to say thank you for all of your prayers, gifts and messages. They mean so much to me. As for the healing progress of my injuries, I am getting better. My back is still hurting, but I am sure that will change soon. When the concerts begin, I am sure I will be back stronger than ever, and I am looking forward to that day, to seeing all of you. Please keep on praying, and I will see you London fans in August. Until then, take care, and may God bless you. I love you all so very much. Goodbye.” With all that said, he hoped if the video message were to make it on any news station that the journalists would not selectively edit his message. Not like there was anything they could lie about, considering his message was straightforward. But when it came to the media, one never knew. After all, they had tried to mislead the fans in the past.

________________________________________

Of course, the media was still keeping tabs on Michael's condition. There was still quite a bit of speculation about everything that happened on June 25th, since some of it was still unknown. There was speculation about his personal physician, Shelley, about what role she was playing in those turn of events. Journalists wondered about her since she was not heard of until the mishap. Shelley eventually grew tired of all the press hype, so when a journalist from one of the media shows asked her to sit down for an interview, she was glad to oblige. She was not one for media circuses, but she felt if she could help clear things up, it was worth it.

Although Eileen had made a vow to never watch media shows again, where Michael Jackson was concerned, she decided to make an exception this time. She was interested in hearing what Michael's EMT had to say, and she was secretly able to tolerate Showbiz Tonight and Larry King Live to an extent. She put aside the new clothes she was designing and turned on the television. ‘What the heck…I could work on these and listen at the same time.’ She picked up the skirt and started sewing in the seams. 

“Hello, welcome to Showbiz Tonight, I'm A.J Hammer. We have new developments on the Michael Jackson story. Don't forget to catch his tribute concert tomorrow night. His personal physician, Dr. Shelley Brennan has joined us tonight live from LA in an exclusive interview. This is her first public appearance since June 25th. She will speak out for the first time, about her role, and about that day. Good evening, Shelley.”

“Good evening, AJ. “

“What role have you been playing in Jackson's life?”

“He has hired me to go with him on tour, in case of serious injury.”

AJ wasn't surprised, as he had heard reports of this from other media sources and he also heard about the accidents the singer had on tour before. He also heard reports that Michael had been addicted to prescription drugs lately, taking 10-40 Xanax a night, as well as sedatives for chronic insomnia. “Rumor has it that Michael is a drug addict. What type of patient has he been to you thus far? Has he ever asked you for drugs that exceeded the normal dosage?”

Shelley was a bit irritated by the last question. She wondered what he was trying to prove. But she knew it was part of doing an interview.

“Well, Mr. Jackson has been a wonderful patient, very easy to deal with. And no, he has never asked me for any prescription medication. The only medication I have given him was the pain medication that he had been given while hospitalized, which is extremely mild.”

‘Thank you, Shelley!’ Eileen was relieved to hear that response. She thought it was ridiculous how the media always labeled Michael a drug addict and made rumors about the medications he used. She hoped the doctor's response would shut them up for awhile. 

“Take me back to that day, June 25th. “

'Oh goody,' Eileen thought to herself. There was so much speculation about what led up to that moment. 

“That morning, at breakfast, Mr. Jackson didn't come down because his back was hurting him quite severely, so I brought his breakfast to him.” She also talked about how after breakfast, things were quiet, as Alyssa had decided to relax for a bit before rehearsal, and Michael's children went shopping with the nanny. “From what I have gathered, Mr. Jackson was preparing to go and see a doctor, and he just collapsed while getting dressed. The young woman, Lissie started screaming for me to come upstairs into his room. When I got there I understood why she was so frantic. ”

The middle-aged show host understood. “So it was quite serious, I take it.”

“Yes it was. Even though his breathing was steady, he was unconscious and hemorrhaging quite a bit...just a serious injury he suffered.”

The young woman couldn't help but cringe a little bit at the description, just picturing the scenario. The sight of blood was not her cup of tea. In fact, there were times she came dangerously close to fainting. 'Oh, poor, poor Michael,' she couldn't help thinking. She was so glad he made it through.

For AJ, the picture was becoming clear. The pop singer was mostly in seclusion for the past few years that it was hard to know what was going on with him, or which one of the stories were true. But now it seemed like most of them were just rumors. Now there was just one last thing he needed to know.

“Ever since you've been treating Michael, has he ever complained of insomnia?”

Shelley furrowed her brow in deep thought. “He has had difficulty sleeping when he was suffering with extreme agony. “

“And how much has his condition improved?”

“He's improving steadily, but he still has a way to go before he's one hundred percent.”

“You seem to be a competent doctor. I'd say he is quite fortunate to be in your hands.”

The physician was a little speechless. She didn't know if AJ was praising or patronizing her...or rather, her patient, although the comment to her was flattering. She blushed a bit.

“Thank you for your time here.”

“Thank you for inviting me,” replied Shelley. She thought about reminding him to not sensationalize what she said, but she thought better.

Eileen switched the channel once the interview was over. She didn't really care to see how they would twist what the doctor said. But she had respect for the doctor for taking the time to set the record straight. And she was glad to hear that Michael was doing better. ‘I can’t wait to see this tribute concert. It had better be done tastefully.’

________________________________________

 

Late that afternoon, Alyssa was packing up to leave work. “Sorry I can't stay today, but something is  
happening at Staples Center in a bit. I don't know exactly what, but I was told to come home right away.” And in actuality Michael wasn't entirely sure about what was going to happen either. All he knew was that the director for his This Is It gigs told him to come to Staples Center.

“It's ok,” said Anastasia. “Tell me all about it.”

“Will do. And I'll take pictures, too. See you tomorrow. ”

“See ya!”

With one last wave, Lissie left the office. She really needed to get home, as she only had 2 hours. She didn't want to keep the hair and makeup artist waiting. She had been looking forward to meeting her. From what she had seen in an interview, the lady seemed nice.

When Lissie got home, she put up her briefcase and went to see if the make-up artist had arrived yet. She went into the styling room, and saw a woman with blonde hair fixing Michael's hair. It was indeed the same woman she saw in one of Michael's interviews. Karen Faye. She didn't want Karen to think she forgot her manners or that she hated her or something. “Hi Michael. Hi, Karen.”

“Hey, Lissie,” answered Michael.

“It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Alyssa,” said Karen.

“Likewise.”

“Michael has told me quite a bit about you.”

“Oh, has he?” That didn't really surprise Lissie. She knew Michael would want all of his old friends as well as family how important she was to him, just as she had told all of her friends about how good he had been to her.

“That he has. Give me awhile and I'll be with you.”

“Okay.” Lissie thought she could use that time to find something to wear. She had enough clothing for occasions like these, so she was not someone who would need to go shopping.

After several hours of preparation, everyone was ready to go. Even though the concert would not start for another hour, they wanted to get an early start, Lissie especially. She just knew, without knowing how she knew, that paparazzi and press would be all over this event. She knew it would be foolish to think it would be done quietly. Anything to exploit Michael for ratings.

Lissie couldn't help but admire Karen's handiwork. She thought Karen was great at what she did. ‘I can definitely see why Michael likes her.’ “Thank you, Karen,” she said a little bit shyly.

“You're welcome. The pleasure is all mine. I hope you all have a wonderful time.” She sort of had a bad feeling about this event Kenny Ortega was planning, whatever it was, but she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was doing it from the goodness of his heart this time. She just hoped nothing bad would come of it.

“Thanks, you have a good evening as well,” replied Lissie. She had to admit, she liked Karen.

Michael, his children and Lissie left the mansion, as they were sure the chauffeur was becoming impatient.

________________________________________

Lissie and the Jackson family got to the Staples Center with very little problems. They could still feel the cameras on them, but with bodyguards nearby it was hard for the reporters and paparazzi to come close to them. Although Michael's children usually wore masks in public (with the exception of the Sunday they went to church with Lissie), Michael decided to allow them to appear in public without them. He thought it would be a good time to let the world see them for the first time. For Paris, it felt a little strange, but at the same time, she liked it, since there were times she wondered why she was wearing a mask. Same for her brothers. They entered the Staples Center, and quite a few people were there. Some of them included members of Michael's family: his parents, his brothers, sisters, and a few cousins and nieces. Kenny Ortega and Michael's rehearsal crew were there as well, not to mention several other singers: Celine Dion, Lionel Ritchie, Smokey Robinson, Mariah Carey, Carrie Underwood, Usher Raymond and a few other singers. There were other celebrities there as well.

It didn't take Michael long to realize what was going on, what this surprise was. It looked like there was going to be a tribute concert of some sort, and it would be highly star-studded, too, considering all of the fellow artists and celebrity friends there. He was wondering for whom the concert was. When he saw the words, “We Love You Michael, Please Recover Soon” being displayed on the screen, he realized the concert was for him. His eyes filled with tears as he, Paris, Prince, Lissie and Blanket found their seats. The middle-aged King of Pop became even more overcome with emotion as music to one of his songs proceeded to play is a prelude. He considered this to be one of the most thoughtful gestures ever. He truly wasn't expecting this.

Soon, the music stopped, and Kenny walked on stage, in front of the microphone. People who were chattering settled down and gave him their attention. “Goodnight, ladies and gentlemen! We have gathered here tonight to honor and show our love and thanksgiving to the greatest entertainer in the world and most generous person in the music industry, Mr. Michael Joseph Jackson! He has broken music records, and all of the racial barriers. Nearly 2 weeks ago, the media gave us quite a scare. Fortunately, the news turned out to be false, and I am so grateful for that. The purpose for this concert is to show how much we appreciate Michael and the fact that he is here with us on this day, because we really could have lost him. However, God has been good to him and us. So Michael, if you are in the audience, I hope you enjoy this concert!”

Those words made Michael cry and smile at the same time. He was grateful to be alive himself. And the ugly false rumor made up about him by the media angered him. But he wasn't going to let that ruin the concert for him. He was looking forward to seeing how the concert was put together.

Mariah Carey entered the stage, preparing to perform her version of the Jackson 5's song, I'll Be There. Music started playing, and she proceeded to sing, her powerful soprano voice echoing throughout the building.

 

You and I must make a pact, we must bring salvation back  
Where there is love, I'll be there  
I'll reach out my hand to you, I'll have faith in all you do  
Just call my name and I'll be there  
Chorus:  
And oh - I'll be there to comfort you,  
Build my world of dreams around you, I'm so glad that I found you  
I'll be there with a love that's strong  
I'll be your strength, I'll keep holding on - yes I will, yes I will  
Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter  
Togetherness, well that's all I'm after  
Whenever you need me, I'll be there  
I'll be there to protect you, with an unselfish love I respect you  
Just call my name and I'll be there  
(chorus)  
If you should ever find someone new, I know he'd better be good to you  
'Cos if he doesn't, I'll be there  
Don't you know, baby, yeah yeah  
I'll be there, I'll be there, just call my name, I'll be there  
(Just look over your shoulders, honey - ooh)  
I'll be there, I'll be there, whenever you need me, I'll be there  
Don't you know, baby, yeah yeah  
I'll be there, I'll be there, just call my name, I'll be there...

 

When the song ended, she said, “We love you Michael,” and exited the stage. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Some people gave her a standing ovation.

Next, Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson made their way to the stage. Kobe talked about the influence Michael has had on him, and Magic Johnson recalled the time he was asked to be in the music video Remember the Time, and how he was invited to Michael's house for dinner and his asking the chef for grilled chicken. “He brought me the grill chicken and he brought Michael out a bucket full of Kentucky Fried Chicken. I went crazy. I said, “Michael, you eat Kentucky Fried Chicken?!'”

The crowd started laughing. Lissie had to control her laughter somewhat so she didn't end up on the floor. Michael was a little embarrassed at being put on the spot, but after awhile, he laughed, too.

After that anecdote, Celine, Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood and Smokey Robinson performed Earth Song. That performance earned a standing ovation as well. Everyone but Jennifer Hudson walked offstage. Jennifer was going to perform Will You Be There. Several other people entered the stage. They were going to sing the part of the choir.

 

Hold Me  
Like The River Jordan  
And I Will Then Say To Thee  
You Are My Friend

Carry Me  
Like You Are My Brother  
Love Me Like A Mother  
Would You Be There?

Mary  
Tell Me Will You Hold Me  
When Wrong, Will You Scold Me  
When Lost Will You Find Me?

But They Told Me  
A Man Should Be Faithful  
And Walk When Not Able  
And Fight Till The End  
But I'm Only Human

Everyone's Taking Control Of Me  
Seems That The World's  
Got A Role For Me  
I'm So Confused  
Will You Show To Me  
You'll Be There For Me  
And Care Enough To Bear Me

(Hold Me) show me  
(Lay Your Head Lowly)  
told me  
(Softly Then Boldly)  
yeah  
(Carry Me There)  
I'm Only Human

(Lead Me)  
hold me  
(Love Me And Feed Me)  
yea yeah  
(Kiss Me And Free Me)  
yeah  
(I Will Feel Blessed)  
I'm Only Human

(Carry)  
Carry  
(Carry Me Boldly)  
Carry yeah  
(Lift Me Up Slowly)  
yeah  
(Carry Me There)  
I'm Only Human

(Save Me)  
save me  
(Heal Me And Bathe Me)  
lift me up, lift me up  
(Softly You Say To Me)  
(I Will Be There)  
I Will Be There

(Lift Me)  
I’m gonna care  
(Lift Me Up Slowly)  
(Carry Me Boldly)  
yeah  
(Show Me You Care)  
Show Me You Care

(Hold Me)  
whoooo  
(Lay Your Head Lowly)  
I get lonely some times  
(Softly Then Boldly)  
I get lonely  
(Carry Me There)  
yeah yeah carry me there  
yeah yeah yeah

[Spoken]  
In Our Darkest Hour  
In My Deepest Despair  
Will You Still Care?  
Will You Be There?  
In My Trials  
And My Tribulations  
Through Our Doubts  
And Frustrations  
In My Violence  
In My Turbulence  
Through My Fear  
And My Confessions  
In My Anguish And My Pain  
Through My Joy And My Sorrow  
In The Promise Of Another Tomorrow  
I'll Never Let You Part  
For You're Always In My Heart.

 

 

  
After that performance, Brooke Shields went up to share a story about her friendship with Michael and how much he meant to her. Everyone was interested to hear about her thoughts on him. Lissie thought it was a very beautiful relationship. She shot a quick glance at Michael, and judging from his facial expression she could tell he was very enamored with her.

After several other performances, including star-studded ones of We Are the World and Heal the World, the concert was coming to a close. The Jackson family was on stage. Paris was so moved by all the love shown to her father, and she wanted to share with everyone watching how much she loved him.

“Can I go up and say something?” she whispered into her father's ear.

Generally, Michael would have his doubts about this, as he wanted to shield his children from the spotlight for as long as possible. But they were unmasked for the first time, and she was shown to the world for the first time, so he figured, why not? He gave her the go ahead to do so.

The crowd was surprised when they saw Michael's daughter go up to the mic. They wondered what she was going to say. She cleared her throat.

“Daddy...you're the best father in the world. I'm so happy you're better. I love you so much.”

Some people in the audience went, “Awwww”. Some people were even moved to tears. They could tell she was speaking from the heart. Lissie got a bit teary-eyed hearing that.

Paris ran into Michael's arms, and he held her close. He was so proud of her for doing that. She had been sheltered for her whole life and here she was, proving that she was not afraid to speak up. He couldn't believe how fast she was growing up. Also, he thoroughly enjoyed the concert. He was totally surprised by it, but it was one of the nicest gestures ever done for him.

“I think it will be quite fitting to end this concert with some words from Michael,” said the AEG director.

Although Michael didn't like talking a lot, he didn't mind giving a speech. He had to let them know how thankful he was. “There are not enough words to express how glad I am to be here before you all,” he began. “I'd like to say thank you for all your prayers, as well as this concert. It was very beautiful, and has made me feel even better. God bless, and I love you all so much.”

Kenny Ortega concluded the concert with, “I'd like to thank those who participated and the fans for making this event a success. Goodnight!”

One by one, people exited the place that was designated for Michael's rehearsals.


	20. Chapter 20

Alyssa hadn't gotten any mail, calls or e-mails from her friend in New York for quite a few weeks. She was beginning to worry, especially since the letter she wrote three weeks ago wasn't replied to. Every time she checked for the mail, there was none from Shannon, even though she got mail from a couple of her other NY friends. When she went to check the mail that day after she got home from work, she came across a letter from Shannon. She was so happy! 'Finally!' she thought. If she hadn't gotten that letter, she probably would've gone crazy worrying. She jogged back to the mansion, just in case paparazzi was hiding somewhere, spying on her. They hadn't bombarded her for the near eight weeks she'd been living at Michael’s mansion, and she wanted to keep it that way.

Desperate to know what Shannon's letter was about, Lissie ripped it open. It read:

Hi Lissie!

Sorry I have taken so long to write back. Things were kind of crazy for a few weeks and I've been busy. My mom had pneumonia and I had to spend time at her house to take care of her. Not to mention taking care of my own kids. All of that just made me too tired to sit down and write anything. But things are mostly back to normal (well, as normal as can be), and I have finally gotten some time to reply to your letter.

So how have you been doing? What's new with you? I hope you've been holding up all right, despite the past four and a half weeks. I imagine it must have been difficult and hectic.

How is Michael doing? Even better I hope. I am so happy he made it through this. I can't imagine life without him. I cannot wait for the This Is It concert. Too bad he had to push it back all the way to his birthday but I believe it'll be worth the wait and he would be in great shape, hopefully. How are his children doing? I bet they have taken this whole thing hard.

Hey guess what?? The day before you guys leave for London, I will be coming to LA to see you. I simply can't wait until the concerts begin to come and see you. I would have come June 25th, since you were so upset, but my schedule prevented me from coming. Please ask Michael if it will be ok if I traveled with you guys. I'm sure he'll say yes, but just ask him to be sure.

So much has happened that this letter could be extremely long, but unfortunately it'll have to end right here. I have to clean up my kids because they somehow got into my nail polish and now it's all over them. I thought I left them sleeping, I don't understand how they got to do that. But I'll write again soon...and I'm looking forward to seeing you. I hope the next three weeks go by quickly. I can't wait!

Ciao,

Shannon

Lissie was so happy to know Shannon was coming, she hadn't seen her since she had left NY nearly 9 weeks prior. Sure, they wrote letters and sent e-mail often, but it wasn't the same. She would be sure to ask Michael if she could travel to London with them. She laughed out loud about the nail polish story...she couldn't help but think that the kids were hyper-energetic and real handfuls. It made her so glad she didn't become a teacher. She didn't think she would have the energy or patience to be one. ‘I don’t know if I want children of my own, either.’ 

There were sheets of stationery paper and a pen on her desk for times like this. She sat down to reply to the letter. She wrote about what had happened during the past three weeks since she last wrote. This is what was written:

Hi Shannon!

It is so good to hear from you. It's okay, I understand you were busy. I have been a bit busy myself, although I haven't started going to any rehearsals again yet. I've been extending my work hours since I'll be leaving for London soon. But it is good that things are finally back to normal for you.

Michael has been doing pretty well actually. He has been going to therapy and it has helped his back quite a bit. It still hurts him but the pain is bearable for a change. His chiropractor said that if he kept improving at the rate he is, he’ll be able to rehearse again in 2 weeks. I am so happy that he made it through. June 25th gave me such a scare, and the nightmare really freaked me out. I thank God it was only a nightmare and I treasure every day I have with Michael. I cannot imagine life without him. His children are doing ok... You're right about Michael's accident being hard on them. But they're much happier now that he is doing much better.

I am doing well. I am not 100 percent back to my old self, but I'm getting there.

I am so happy you're coming. I'll be sure to ask Michael and then e-mail you the answer. It's been so long since we last saw each other. I can hardly wait to see you!

Love always,

Lissie

P. S. I hope you find a way to keep your kids out of trouble.

The singer had gone to an LA studio for an interview with Larry King, as did Kai, so asking him about Shannon coming would have to wait. She decided to spend time with Michael's children, as she didn't get to spend much time with them over the past few weeks.

 

________________________________________

 

The rumors regarding Michael's health had spiraled out of control. Tabloids and newspapers written by tabloid journalists were still saying that he was frail and unable to feed himself, but now they felt the need to spice the story up. They were now spreading rumors that he was also paralyzed and brain damaged, and he was now a vegetable. And the worst part was that some journalists were reporting it as truth.

Now, Michael was someone who tried his best to avoid tabloids and media news at all costs, but eventually he got all the details from his EMT, when she was returned from working her night shift. Reporters were constantly trying to get her to comment on the news.

When Michael heard this news, he was outraged. This was the last straw for him. He knew the rumors had been going on for quite some time, but now they had gone too far. But he finally figured out what he would do about it. Since a lawsuit was already in the works for the previous false story, he settled for an interview. He usually didn't like doing them because they were so intrusive and most of the time they happened on bad terms. The fact that the journalists liked to selectively edit his words for their own greedy purposes didn’t help matters, either. He consented to setting up the interview with Larry King, since he was one of the few honorable journalists, which was more than he could say for the majority. This was one of the few rare times he wouldn't regret speaking out. Even so, he was a bit nervous as he entered the studio and sat across from the elderly man, who made his opening speech.

“Welcome to a very special edition of Larry King Live. Tonight's edition will feature two very special guests, Michael Jackson and his personal chef, Kai Chase. We will hear from Michael first. Good evening, Michael, how are you?”

“I'm doing fine, thank you,” answered Michael.

“So, despite the accident, you're feeling ok?”

The poor listening skills of some interviewers never ceased to amaze Michael. ‘Do these people have wax in their ears or something?’ But he didn't get impatient. “Yes. I'm not 100 percent yet, but I'm getting there.”

“You were a kid the last time I interviewed you. This time you're here to address the scandals and innuendo regarding your health?”

“Correct.” And he hoped that the rumors and speculation would end, too. He wasn't sure how much more he could take.

The studio grew quiet for a few moments. Larry contemplated which question he should ask first. There were quite a few areas he wanted to cover, and considering he was dealing with a slightly reclusive artist choosing questions would be quite difficult. But then came one he had ever since Michael held the conference in London. A rumor that was so mind-boggling.

 

“First things first, there were numerous stories that you were in such poor health that you nearly fainted at your rehearsals and you were unable to feed yourself or walk. Judging from your appearance today, I find that hard to believe. Were there any occasions those events happened?”

Michael was totally mortified. He wondered where people came up with such rubbish. And the sad part was that there would be people who would fall for it. “Absolutely false. I'm in good health, with the exception for trouble with my back, which I have had for years, and most recently my hand. Please, don't believe the tabloids.” It was such a shame he had to say that nowadays.

“Okay, so that's been cleared up. Another story that's been circulating is that you are addicted to prescription medications to the point where you were over-medicated, and you've been using sedatives for chronic insomnia.”

“That's another stupid rumor. The only pain medication I have used is Aleve. Yes, I have had trouble sleeping, for years, in fact, but recently when I couldn't sleep at night, it was because my back hurt.”

Larry nodded. He knew that back pain would not help insomnia at all...especially if it was immense. “I see.”

“Yes,” Michael continued. “I would never take such a risk that would jeopardize my health.” If he was defensive, it was because he was sick to death of people painting him into something he was not.

Once again, Larry gave Michael the benefit of the doubt. Unlike most journalists, he was open to the fact that the scandals surrounding him would be false. That was always the case with every sensationalized story about him. “So, what are you doing for your back?”

“I've been doing therapy on it for the past three weeks and it's improving,” answered the pop star. He was certainly glad about that. There were times he was like, ‘Please, take me now.’

“One more thing. The amount of concerts you've initially agreed to has been disputed during the past several months. Some sources say you only agreed to 10 shows, some say you were fine with 50 shows. How many concerts did you originally agree to?”

“Well, at first I've only agreed to ten shows at the most. Then 40 more shows were added without my knowledge, and I was stunned. I wondered if they were trying to kill me. But eventually I thought maybe I could do 50. Because of my injury, I reduced it back to its original 10 to be safe.”

 

“Well thank you for joining us this evening, and I wish you a speedy recovery.”

“Thank you for having me here. God bless.” He now knew for certain he would not regret doing the interview. He gave Larry King a handshake, and left the studio.

(break)

“This special edition of Larry King Live continues with our second special guest, Kai Chase. She is Michael's personal chef and was there on the day to witness the scariest moment of our lives. Good evening, Kai.”

“Good evening, Larry.”

“Tell me how long you've been working for Michael and how did you end up working for him.”

That was a day the chef loved talking about. “It is one day I'll never forget,” she began. She told about how she thought the person who asked her about focusing on fresh and healthy cooking was the client, until he told her the client would love her. “I was kind of puzzled. I asked, you're not the client?' 'He said, no no no, this is who you'll be working for, and gave me a business card. When I looked at it, I said, you're kidding me...am I being punked?'” She had thought she was dreaming. She talked about how Michael's children were looking forward to her coming and they asked her how good she was at healthy cooking, what were her favorite foods and a special friendship existed ever since.

Larry got the picture. There was healthy living in the Jackson home. “What does Michael expect from you, as an employee?”

“Well, there were times he would say, 'They're killing me, they're killing me' in regards to his rigorous rehearsal schedule, so he would say he needs me to take care of him. He needed to be healthy and strong for this tour. “

“Take me back to that terrible day, when we were given such a fright.”

That was another day Kai would never forget, but not in a good way, although things did turn out to be okay. Either way, she wasn't sure if she ever wanted to relive that kind of day again. Not anytime soon, anyway. She wasn't sure if she would be able to keep her cool while talking about it, but she would try. She took a deep breath. “Well, I came into work between eight and eight thirty and I prepared breakfast. Mr. Jackson hadn't come down for breakfast, and we were concerned. I was thinking, maybe Mr. Jackson was sleeping in late or something, but we wanted to be sure. Alyssa, a fan and friend of his who has been living at his home since the beginning of June, offered to go see what was going on, because although I'm not allowed upstairs, or into his room, she is. And it turned out that Mr. Jackson wasn't feeling well. His back was bothering him quite badly.”

“I've spoken with him not too long ago, he did mention that. So did he skip breakfast that morning?” The elderly journalist wondered whether the reports about Michael eating only one meal a day were true or not. And he also wanted to know who this Alyssa person was. But he would get to those questions later.

“No, his personal physician took breakfast up to him. She is allowed upstairs as well.”

Larry nodded. “I see.”

Kai continued relating the turn of events, about how breakfast time was sort of a melancholy moment and the children were a bit distressed that their father was in great pain at that time. But things got better and they saw him before they went on a shopping spree with Grace. “So while the children were out shopping, the home was rather quiet and at noon. I decided to fix lunch, so it would be ready by the time Prince, Paris and Blanket got back, and Mr. Jackson could have lunch with them if he was feeling well enough. I was getting the saran wrap, because Mr. Jackson liked being treated as if he were in a hotel. Well, shortly after noon, Lissie comes by the stairwell and starts screaming for the personal physician to come upstairs quickly. The doctor runs up the stairs with the first aid kit. Within minutes, paramedics were there, and they were skipping stairs. That serene moment turned eerie.”

“The young woman's name is Lissie, isn't it?”

The chef nodded. “Correct.”

“How did she appear after the paramedics arrived?” Larry asked.

“She was on the verge of tears, and was looking extremely shaken. I was pretty panicked and crying myself.”

“Because you knew that something was wrong?”

“Yes, I had the feeling that something was very wrong with Mr. Jackson, from the way she called for Shelley and how quickly paramedics arrived.”

“Did you hear the 911 call?”

“No, I didn't. But after Mr. Jackson was taken to the hospital, Lissie did tell me what happened, that he had been hurt.”

“Do you have any idea how badly?”

“Not entirely, but I had a feeling that it was pretty serious, judging from the eerie moment. Also, I felt a little distress, as if I could feel his discomfort.” She didn't really care to talk about the moment that was most hard to talk about, the moment where Lissie broke the news to the children when they returned from shopping. It was hard enough talking about the moments before. But she tried to hold it together. “His children returned home at about twelve thirty five, twelve forty, and Lissie broke the news to them.”

“I imagine it must have been a terrible experience.”

Kai nodded. “Yes it was. Paris and her brothers started crying and Lissie broke down as well. We joined together in a circle, held hands and prayed, ‘dear God, please help Mr. Jackson pull through,’ and soon after that, we workers were asked to leave the house. “

“So, what went through your mind when the rumor was fabricated that Michael had died from the injuries?”

“I had to pull over. I was devastated and started crying. I was so relieved when the news turned out to be false and I was also angry that the media had created such a story. I am so happy he is recovering so nicely from that ordeal. He is such a lovely man. He's generous and an excellent father to his children. And I am glad that his children will get to see him perform.”

“How are his eating habits? Is it true that he eats only one meal a day?”

“No, I've prepared three meals and what he didn't eat at home he took to rehearsals with him.”

Oh. So that was another false story. “Does he eat very well?”

Kai thought about this. “I left for a week in May, so I am not sure how his eating habits were during that time period, but when I am there to give him the nourishment he needs, he does. He had asked me, ' do you have my beet juice, my organic juices?' He needs those to stay healthy and strong. He's looking forward to the tour.”

“Does he eat a lot of solid foods?”

“Oh yes, on days when he doesn't have rehearsals, namely Saturdays and Sundays. Gumbo, fried chicken, KFC, barbecued chicken, corn on the cob, soul food, Mexican food.”

Larry was always surprised by Michael every time he thought he had him figured out. He had no idea that Michael had such simple tastes.

“So, tell me more about Lissie.”

Kai was a bit taken aback. She didn't want Alyssa to be exposed to the media after Michael had done such a good job protecting her. “Well, she's very delightful, very dear to Mr. Jackson. He treats her like a child of his own even though she's a young adult. And she's like a big sister figure to the children. ”

That was something Larry expected from Michael. “Sounds like Michael needs someone like her. After all he has very few people he can trust. Thank you for your time, Kai.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”


	21. Chapter 21

________________________________________

The next three weeks went by quickly, and Alyssa was extremely ecstatic. It was finally the day of the journey to London. She could hardly believe the day had finally come. The crew was originally supposed to leave six weeks prior, but then there was Michael's mishap and they were forced to postpone it. Of course there was the scare that it was not going to happen at all. Luckily, that was not the case, and the concerts were only canceled until Michael's recovery period ended. The night before went by so slowly, she thought it would never end. She was so glad Shannon was with her, otherwise she probably would have lost her sanity waiting. Not only that, but she hadn't seen her friend Shannon in over three months. It had been such a happy reunion. Lissie was also glad her best friend was able to keep her fan girl side in check when she met Michael in person...well, she sort of did that, anyway. She did pretend to faint, but that didn't warrant a lecture. She was worried she would have to give her friend a long lecture for embarrassing her. Another thing Lissie was glad about was that Shannon found someone to leave her kids with—her sister(whom they adored spending a lot of time with anyway, because she spoiled them sometimes).She was worried they would run wild in Michael's house and mess up one of his items, or even worse, his kids' things. That meant they would be able to enjoy some time alone....for a little bit, at least. Once they got in London, there would be little time to do that. There were still a lot of preparations to be made before the concerts began in eight days...dress rehearsals and all.

Michael's family was excited as well, especially his children. They would get their chance to perform with him, and had been practicing with him ever since he began to prepare for the concerts, and recently when he was well enough to rehearse again. They were a bit nervous about it, but thought they could make it through, since they appeared at the tribute concert several weeks ago. That was great preparation for this big event. Kai was excited, too, as she would also be going, upon request by Prince, Paris and Blanket. And she was looking forward to writing the cookbook.

“Aren't you excited?” Shannon cheerfully asked, tossing a crossword puzzle into her carry-on bag.

“You bet,” answered Lissie, packing her camera. She had promised to take photos and send them to Anastasia.

“I have been waiting for this moment for a long while. I can't believe it is finally here. To think we almost didn't get a chance to see him live. If TMZ was sadly right about what they said, I would have been crushed. Thank God they were wrong. ”

Lissie agreed with her. It had been two months and she still hadn't quite gotten over that day. But at least she was able to move on. She just used that moment to treasure her moments with Michael and to value their friendship. She was so glad he had fully recovered and was in good shape for the tour. And she hoped that nothing would happen during the tour. “I understand how you feel. But Michael is doing all right now, and that's what matters.” ‘I hope he doesn’t hurt himself on this tour…at least not severely.’

“I guess you're right. It's just going to take some time to completely heal from that day.”

“It's okay. Take your time. I am still healing myself.” As were his family. They were so thankful for his health.

“I'm glad I'm not alone in feeling that way. At first I thought it was just me.”

“No you aren't. Trust me, a vast majority of the fans are still reeling a bit from June 25th...deathly afraid of losing Michael. “ Lissie then decided to change the subject into something more pleasant...talking about that day was so depressing. “Michael's birthday is coming up....on the same day the tour begins. I'm sure being surrounded by fans and doing what he loves most will be a highlight of his birthday, but I want to get him something to once again repay him for all he has done for me.”

Shannon looked thoughtful. “Ooh. That's nice. Do you know what you'll get him?”

“As a matter of fact, I think I have an idea of what I'll get for him.” At first Lissie was having a little bit of trouble coming up with a gift but remembering Michael's high opinion of Princess Diana gave her an idea of a possible birthday present. She would get him Princess Diana memorabilia.

“Oooo, what is it, if I may ask?” asked Shannon.

Lissie told her.

“Wow. That's so nice. He'll really appreciate it,” Shannon commented.

“Glad you think so. Please don't tell him about this. I want it to be a surprise.”

“You got it. My lips are sealed.”

There was one problem though. Lissie wasn't sure when she would get a chance to go shopping for the gift, as she figured there would be a lot of work to do. There might not be time for shopping. But she decided to wait and see. ‘No sense worrying. I will just have to cross that bridge when it comes.’

“Are you nervous about going to London?” asked Shannon.

“Sort of. Not as much as I was before,” answered Lissie. That was because Michael had given her some information on the culture in England so she knew what was expected of her. After all, he'd been there enough times to educate people on what one should or should not do. He was a life saver.

Just then, Lissie's cellphone started ringing. She looked at the number. It was the number from the local hospital. 'Now who could that be?' she wondered. “Excuse me for a bit, Shannon.”

“Okay.” Shannon decided to double check to make sure she packed all of the important things.

Lissie left the room and answered the phone. “Hello? Oh, hi Mrs. Churchill. What's going on? How's Abby?” Then her facial expression turned into a worried one, and she felt a cold feeling inside her stomach. “Oh no. That's not good. All right. I'll tell Michael. Thanks for letting me know about this. Goodbye.” She hung up, and re-entered her bedroom.

“What happened?” Shannon asked, eyeing Lissie's worried look.

“You remember I told you about Abby, the girl with lupus, right?” 

Shannon nodded. 

“Well, that was her mother who just called me. She said that Abby's health is rapidly making a turn for the worst. She's now hospitalized with pneumonia and is in critical condition. And she is so weak that she can't even move.”

“That's so awful.”

“It sure is. I have to tell Michael about this. He'll be devastated, since he and I both have been praying for her.”

“I'll bet.”

“Yeah. He helped pay for her transplant.” She rested the cellphone down and skipped out of the bedroom to find Michael. She found him in his dance studio, teaching his children some dance moves. Boy, did it feel good for him to be able to start dancing again. He had only been able to do it for the past week. Lissie thought he was such a superb dancer. The fancy footwork...everything she loved watching him do. And he was such a great teacher, too. She watched as he guided them through doing the spin and the moonwalk. She hated to interrupt because he needed all the time he could have before getting ready to head to the airport. And if they were going to be on-stage with him they needed all the practicing they could get. But this was an emergency. “Michael, sorry to interrupt, but I have to tell you something. It's very important.”

“Sure.” The pop star wondered if anything was wrong. Lissie didn't look too happy, to put it mildly. “That's enough practicing for now,” he told his children.

“Okay.” Taking the hint that some privacy was needed, they left the dancing studio to make sure they had everything they needed.

“What's wrong?” Michael asked Lissie.

Lissie could feel her eyes welling up with tears, but she fought them. She didn't want to be too emotional about this. She wanted to believe that everything would be ok, that Abby was strong enough to pull through. “I just got a call from Abby's mother. Abby's in the hospital again and she is not doing well.”

Michael's heart sank and he had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. “What's wrong with her?”

“She has pneumonia.”

Michael didn't like the sound of that. Even though his form of lupus was fairly mild, he knew enough about it to know that fighting pneumonia while on steroids didn't always go well. Oh, did he hope she would be okay. She was such a wonderful girl.

“I think we should go and see her, while we still have the chance. But do we have time to? We have to leave early so we could check in.”

“Sure we have time if we leave right now.”

“Oh, I get it. Stop at the hospital on our way to the airport.”

“Exactly.”

“Okay. I'll go get my suitcase and stuff. We have to hurry.” She took off. Shannon was all packed and ready to go. She was sitting on the bed, reading a book.

“How did it go? How did he take it?” she asked Lissie.

“Not so good. We're gonna go and see her now, then it'll be time for us to go to the airport.”

“Okay. I'm right with you.” Shannon put the book she was reading back in the carry-on bag, and got her luggage. Lissie got hers, too. She and Shannon exited the bedroom together. Michael and his children were waiting.

________________________________________

Abby was in the Intensive Care Unit in the hospital, hooked up to a ventilator. Her pneumonia worsened so severely that she had started gasping for breath. Doctors had decided to use this as a last resort. Her mother hoped this would work. She was so scared for Abby. The young teen had been in and out of the hospital ever since she started to show the common symptoms of SLE, and she feared this would be her last hospitalization. She had been warned that infections could develop as complications from the transplant, but things were going so well for awhile. But unfortunately, there was a relapse and she seemed to be getting worse. It was so hard to see her this way.

Abby felt like she was dying, like there was no life left inside her. She was too tired to do anything except lay there in her hospital bed. She wondered if she was really dying. Not that she was afraid to. Once she got her wish she didn't care. She thought it would be nice to see Michael just one last time.

It seemed she was in luck. All of a sudden, Michael and Lissie entered. She was so happy to see them, but she was too weak to greet them. And she couldn't talk, because of the bag valve mask that was in place. She would usually wave at them when she was too tired to speak or unable to, but this time she couldn't even force it.

Michael couldn't believe his eyes. This frail, lifeless girl just couldn't be Abby. She was never really energetic, but she was certainly more vibrant than that. It hurt him so deeply to see her that way. Lissie was almost tempted to leave the hospital room, that's how much she couldn't bear the sight. So when Michael walked up to her bed and gently held her hand, she stood back.

'Get a grip,' a voice in her head said. 'You've seen scarier things before and you've made it through.' She fought to regain her composure, and moved a bit closer. “Hi, Mrs. Churchill.”

“Hey there.”

“Hi, you two,” answered Abby's mother, trying to smile.

“Has Abby improved at all?” asked Lissie.

Mrs. Churchill sadly shook her head. “I'm afraid she's still the same. And there's nothing else that can be done for her if this doesn't work.”

That was such bad news to Michael. Especially when the young girl was so still. But then something unexpected happened. She waved at Michael and Lissie.

“It's okay. Save your strength,” Michael told her. He didn't want her to use what little energy she had left. Not just for him.

She sent him a tender message with her eyes. Since she was not able to speak, that was one of the only things she could do. But Michael seemed to understand what she was telling him.

“The pleasure is mine. I love you more,” he told Abby.

Abby's body was losing warmth by the minute, and there was no life in her emerald green eyes. Just as Michael told her those words, her hand went limp, and she was still.

Lissie nearly fainted. She realized the awful truth. Her friend Abigail, sweet and kind Abigail, had expired. This was the first time anyone had ever died in front of her. “Oh no,” she whispered loudly. She was more shocked than sad. It hadn't really sunk in yet. She glanced at Michael, and saw that he was slightly ahead of her. It looked like he was trying to hold back tears, whereas she was too shocked to cry at the moment. She watched him let go of Abby's hand, which was colder than ice at that point.

Just then, a doctor entered the room to check on Abby. He saw that the red head was no longer alive. He grimly removed the ventilator.

Mrs. Churchill, who had been weeping silently, dabbed at her eyes with a Kleenex, and gave Abby last kisses. She felt like a piece of her went with her daughter. Now she was going to have to worry about funeral plans. She didn't think the funeral would be anytime soon, because she nor her husband made enough money to plan a decent funeral. Not unless some miracle happened. She supposed that she could call her relatives and ask them to help, but even that wouldn't be quite enough. Her husband was away on a business trip that week, and he wouldn't be returning until the next day. So she would have to call him and tell him of this.

Michael wished he didn't have to miss the funeral. He really wanted to pay his respects. Abby was such a special friend, next to Lissie. He thought of something he could do to show he cared. It wasn't the same as actually being there at the funeral, but it was the next best thing. He knew that the Churchill family was oftentimes low on funds. He took some money from his wallet and gave it to Mrs. Churchill. “It'll cover most of the funeral expenses,” he said.

Surprised, Mrs. Churchill took the money from him. This was so nice of him. Not only that, but her worries were over. Now all she had to do was make the funeral arrangements. “Thank you very much, Michael. May God bless you always.”

“Likewise.” The superstar checked his watch and it was almost time for him and Lissie to get going. And Shannon and his children were waiting. Not to mention that he had told all of the participants in his concerts, Kai, Karen and Shelley to meet him at the airport. “Well, Marie, it's about time we get going. Lissie, are you ready? Is there something you'd like to say to Abigail?”

“In fact, there is. Give me a minute.” By this time she had somewhat gotten over her shock and the turn of events were beginning to sink in, and she was beginning to become teary-eyed. She walked over to Abby's lifeless form and placed her hand on top of one of hers. “Farewell, Abigail. I am glad to have met you. You'll be in my heart always.” She broke down after saying that. Michael put an arm around her shoulders and led her out of the hospital room. It felt so comforting. She knew she was lucky to have him around at a time like this. The tears she was trying to fight streamed down her face, and she quickly dried them, because Shannon and Michael's kids were out there. She didn't want them to see her crying.

Shannon was reading a magazine, and Prince, Paris and Blanket were reading books they brought with them while they waited. They looked up, and saw that Michael and Lissie had come out. Both of them looked glum, as if they would start crying any minute. They had the feeling something was wrong.

“What happened?” asked Shannon.

“Abby is gone. She didn't make it,” replied Lissie.

There was silence for a moment. The children didn't want to believe it, but the sad facial expressions said that it was true. But they didn't think it was fair. Abby was so young. She was only fifteen, just five days shy of her sixteenth birthday.

Paris broke down in tears. “”Oh, Lissie, I'm sorry.” 

Prince tried to hide the fact that he was crying, but Lissie could tell he wasn't happy, and Blanket didn't really understand what was going on.

“Oh, I'm so sorry.” Shannon gave her friend a sympathetic look.

“I am relieved that she no longer has to suffer anymore.” Lissie didn't think she could say anything more than that. She feared she would really start crying. She hoped the dress rehearsals in London would cheer her up, or at least take her mind off of it.

Michael was still in a bit of shock. He wanted to get out of there, and he was sure Lissie did, too. “Let's go, everyone. We have a flight to catch in a few hours,” he said.

Everyone somberly made their way towards the exit. Michael decided to dedicate his very first concert to Abigail Cynthia Churchill.


	22. Chapter 22

________________________________________

The eight day dress rehearsals went relatively smoothly, considering that anything could happen during those days. Michael felt very well prepared, and he was even sleeping better than he had ever since he started preparing for the shows. And the people of London were so kind and welcoming like they were during his previous visits.

Alyssa was having an easier time being in London than she thought she would have. However, there were times she still couldn't stop thinking about her deceased friend, Abigail. Of course, she couldn't keep thinking about her for long, because that week was as busy as she anticipated. But when she did have time to think, she had a very hard time getting over Abby's death. When she confided to Michael how she felt, he comforted her. And although he was still reeling from the death himself so he was in a position where he would have to be strong for the both of them, his words did make her feel better. She felt so blessed to have him in her life. Shannon made her feel better, too, just by being there. She didn't know what she would do without them. And in spite of all of this, she felt prepared to do her part in the concerts. She was pretty good at keeping her cool at anything that required being the center of attention, even though she did get nervous at times. But she was pretty excited, too, and couldn’t wait to show what she was made of. ‘I will never be able to thank Michael enough for allowing me to be in his shows.’ Of course, she was not the only one.

That particular day was the big day. It was August 29th, when Michael would kick off his concert tour. Not only that, it was also his 51st birthday. If it were not for his body slowing down with the occasional aches and pains, he would not feel that age. He was a firm believer that a person was never too old to have a good time, and was only as old as they felt. He was so grateful he lived to see this day, especially since quite a few of his loved ones were afraid that he wouldn't live to see it. And he thought there was no better way to spend his birthday than being surrounded with the people he loved the most, and doing what he loved to do. He had to admit, as much as he loved his fans and performing, he was glad these were his final show performances. He thought he was too old for all the stress associated with touring. He was afraid he would hurt himself more severely than he did on June 25th, especially if he hadn’t decided to cut the amount of concerts back down to its original ten. He had a feeling he couldn't do fifty shows and he was right. He thought he was lucky that he came out of the stressful preparations with only a concussion. 

“Happy birthday, daddy!” his children chorused, skipping into his room. They gave him big birthday hugs, making sure they were also gentle.

“Thank you.” He hugged them back.

“We have bought you a card that's from all of us and we also bought you a present.”

“Oh?” He wondered what this gift could be.

Paris handed him a medium sized gift box and a card. He opened the box, and inside it was a set of red sequin gloves. They were so beautiful.

“You like it?” asked Paris anxiously.

“I love it! Thank you.” He opened the card next, and read the messages on it. The messages that Blanket and Prince wrote were short, thanking him for bringing them to London and allowing them to come on stage with him, and they loved him very much. Paris' message read: You're the best father in the whole world. Thank you for everything. I'm so glad you're not hurt anymore. Happy birthday, Daddy. I love you so much! -Peaches. Once again, she had drawn a heart next to her name.

Michael was glad, too, although in reality he was still having trouble with arthritis pain in one of his hands, as well as his lower back. He didn't think it was that big of a deal, though, since it would not hamper his dance routine in any way, and the back pain was bearable. He loved the gifts so much. They were very thoughtful, and the messages on the cards were so kind and heartfelt. He hugged his children again. ‘Gosh, these gloves must have been expensive.’ “Tell me, how were you able to afford the gloves?” 

“We saved our allowances and put together to get them for you,” said Paris proudly. 

“Ah.” Michael looked pleased that he taught his children about budgeting well. 

From next door, which was a passage way into the room of Michael and his children, Lissie could hear everything that was going on. It sounded to her like Michael loved the gloves his children got for him. She got the gift and card she had bought for him. She had stashed them in her overnight bag just in case the hotel maids wanted to steal it. And she also didn't want to risk anyone seeing the gift and telling Michael about it before time. ‘I hope he likes my gift just as much.’ She knocked on the door. “I have something for you, too.”

“Lissie? Come in.” He wondered what pleasant surprise she had for him this time. She always seemed to be able to guess what he would like to have.

“Tell me how he likes it, okay?” said Shannon.

“Will do.” She entered Michael's hotel room. There Michael was, putting up his new gloves. “Happy birthday, Michael.” The young woman handed him the card and gift.

“Thank you.” There was something about how the gift was shaped, as well as the size of the gift, that made him able to guess what it was. And he hoped he was correct. Curious, he opened the gift. Inside was a DVD box set of...Princess Diana. It was the Princess Diana Collection. This surprised him, and brought tears to his eyes. Two days later would mark the 12th year anniversary of her death, and he still felt like it happened the day before. He missed her very much. He took a look at the card. Lissie's message read: Happy Birthday, Michael. I am so happy that you're in my life. You're the most generous and kindest person I know. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Thanks again for your love and friendship. I hope God blesses you with many more birthdays. I love you.

Michael was so moved by those words. They meant so much to him.”Oh, that's so beautiful. I love you more.” He embraced Lissie, and she held him close. But there was something that worried her. His reaction to the gift. He was so speechless. She hoped she hadn't traumatized him in any way. She knew that he had taken Princess Di's death very hard. 'Oh, he hates it! How could I have been so thoughtless in getting him such a gift? The last thing he needed is to be reminded of someone who died such a horrible death at an early age.' “Uh, Michael,” she stammered, “it's okay. If you don't like the gift, I can get you something else.” Not that she had an idea of what else to get him, but she didn't want him to have something that was obviously upsetting him. Not to mention there was no time for shopping. There would be a quick dress rehearsal and everyone had to get their hair and makeup done, which would take several hours.

Lissie was surprised and relieved when Michael said, “Oh no, I love it. Thank you very much. ”

“You do? I was worried that I traumatized you or something.”

“No, no, not at all.”

“I'm so glad.” Lissie looked at her watch, which she had decided to set London time. It was approximately eleven fifteen. “When do we leave?”

“In a few minutes.”

Lissie understood. He wanted to get an early start to beat the crowds and the paparazzi, when they were done at the salon. Sure, the salon was right on the first floor, and the O2 arena was pretty nearby as well, but one could never be too cautious. And she also imagined that before the concert began, fans would want to meet him backstage so he could do autographs for them and take pictures with them. “Oh. Ok, then. I'll tell Shannon.” She went back to the room she was sharing with Shannon. Shannon was filing her fingernails. She looked up. “What's up? Does Michael like the present?”

“He loves it. I'm so happy.”

“I don't want to say, “I told you so”, but I did.”

“Haha, very funny.” Her friend Shannon sure knew how to rub it in sometimes. “Anyways, Michael is ready to go. I imagine that he's calling everyone else as we speak. I think he wants to avoid all the crowds and stuff.”

“Good thinking. Well, let's hit the road. We'll wait for Michael and his kids out here. “ 

Lissie got a book to read just in case she would have to wait to get her makeup and hair done, and she left the room with Shannon. They waited for Michael and his children to come out. Lissie was starting to worry. What if he didn't know where she and Shannon were waiting? She wondered if they should go back inside or something. She didn't want him to go crazy worrying that something happened to them. After all, dangerous things could happen even in hotels, and she couldn't be positive those things didn't happen in a London hotel.

“Um, Shannon? I think-” Lissie started to say. But before she could finish, Michael and his children came out. Paris was holding her daddy's hand.

“What were you going to say?” asked Shannon.

“Never mind. It's ok.” ‘Oh I could be so impatient.’

“Ready to go?” asked Michael.

“You bet!”

“Let's go.” He had told Kai, Orianthi and the rest of the group to meet him on the first floor, at the beauty parlor. Lissie and Shannon followed the pop singer and his kids to the nearest elevator. Lissie was not much for spending hours getting primped up, but when she considered what event it was being done for, she wanted to look her best. ‘It’s a good thing I don’t have to go shopping for an outfit, too.’ That was done the day before.

.  
________________________________________

After spending several hours at the salon, Michael and everyone featured in the This Is It gig headed over to the O2 arena for a quick dress rehearsal before the concert actually began. Surprisingly, the primping Lissie received had helped keep her mind off her deceased friend somewhat, and she was happy about that. The quick run through went smoothly, with the exception of one of the backup dancers making a slight error in the dance routine....kicking with the wrong leg. It wasn't anything that would take long to correct. All in all, it went well and Michael thought they were well prepared. 

Shannon had a blast watching the master at work. She could hardly believe she was actually going to be there in person to watch him perform live. She wondered if she was dreaming. And she thought her friend was so lucky that she would get to perform a couple of his songs. “Good luck, Lissie. I think you'll do just great,” she told Lissie.

“Thanks. I'll need it. Even though things have been going well, I am still nervous. I hope I don't mess up.” She was desperately afraid of making him and everyone else look bad.

“Just relax, and you will be fine.”

“I'll try.” But Lissie only had so much time to compose herself, as the concert would start in less than ten minutes. “I'm gonna go find Michael. See ya.”

“See you! Good luck again!”

“Thanks!” Lissie called over her shoulder. She went to find Michael backstage. She found him autographing a CD for a girl with long wavy dark brown hair. Alison. This girl looked familiar. She recalled seeing her at the Lupus LA when Michael told his lupus story. She never knew her name, though. ‘Oh, what do I do, what do I do? I wanna talk to him but I don't want to interrupt him when he's with a fan. And we only have so much time before the concert begins,' she fretted silently. She heard the girl ask Michael if she could take a picture with him.

“Of course,” he said. When he looked up to see where his bodyguard was, he saw Lissie standing a few feet away. She realized this was her cue to talk to him some before the concert began. She walked over to where he and this girl were standing.

“Hey Lissie,” said Michael. “Do you want to take a picture with us?”

“Of course!” She never really liked to take photos, but she was happy to take one this time. She was looking her best.

Michael called for his bodyguard. A tall man with black hair and a mustache came over to them. “Yes, Mr. Jackson?”

“Take a picture of us, will you?”

“Yes, Mr. Jackson.” He took out a camera, and Michael put his arms around Alison and Lissie.

“Smile!”

Michael and the young women did so, and the bodyguard took the picture. Just for good measure, he took another one.

Allie felt butterflies in her stomach while posing. She was so happy she was this close to her long time idol. He was so kind. And the bodyguards and security were nicer than she thought they'd be.

“Thanks, Mister! And thank you, Michael!”

“Of course. The pleasure is mine.”

Alison left backstage to go find her seat, for the show would start in a few minutes. Lissie wondered if she should do that, too, or if she should just stay backstage with Michael and his band.

“You can go on,” he told her. “You'll know when the time is right.”

“All right. Good luck.” Lissie left backstage, and sat in the front next to Paris, Prince and Blanket. The arena was packed...so packed that anyone who arrived after the concert began would need to stand up, though some of the fans apparently liked to do that. She noticed some fans were drawing on large poster boards while there was still light, although she couldn't see what was on them.

“Are you guys excited?” Lissie asked the children.

“Oh yes!” said Paris.

“Yeah,” answered Prince.

But Blanket felt differently. “I'm scared,” he complained.

That didn't surprise Lissie, since she knew Blanket was really shy.

“It's okay, Blanket,” said Paris, comforting him. “I am nervous, too, but you won't be alone. Prince and I will be up there with you, and you'll be up there with daddy and the other performers.”

“Will you be right next to me?” Blanket asked in a small voice.

“Sure I will.”

“Ok.” Blanket felt better, but only a little.

All of a sudden, the lights in the O2 arena dimmed, and the curtains opened. There stood Michael in the center of the stage, with sunglasses on, dressed in a red shirt, black jacket, black jeans, and black shoes. And Paris noticed that he was wearing the red gloves she and her brothers got him for his birthday present.

The fans erupted into loud cheers. They were so happy to finally get to see him. Ever since that day he did the video message for them, they had been praying hard for him to fully recover, just like he requested. Their prayers had been answered. He was there, and he was mostly recovered. Since this was his swan song, their last chance to see him live, they would have been very heartbroken if he didn't pull through.

The pop star felt rejuvenated in a way, as he hadn't done this since his History tour. He hoped the fans would not forget him after this. He got took off his shades, and the cheers got louder. Some of the fans held up signs that read things like: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY GIVING TREE” “I'M GLAD YOU'RE WELL,” “WE LOVE YOU MICHAEL” and “YOU'RE STILL THE BEST OF THE BEST, NEVER FORGET THAT”. He was glad to see that his fans hadn't changed a bit. He decided to make a little speech. The legions of fans quieted down so they could hear what he had to say.

“Uh, hello? I just want to let you know how glad I am to be surrounded by you all on my birthday, and to feel love. I would like to take the time to make mention of a very dear and special friend, Abigail Churchill. She had been suffering with lupus for the past year, and a week ago, she died of pneumonia. She was only fifteen years old.” He got choked up saying that. He had to stop his speech for a little while. “Excuse me...I need a minute to recover.” He sniffled a bit, and used a handkerchief to dab at his eyes. He could hear a couple of, “awws” amongst some people. He drew in a deep breath. “This first concert will be dedicated to her. Abby, wherever you are, I want you to know that I love you so much, and I always will. ”

Just then, a large picture of Abby smiling was projected on the screen. Lissie became overcome with emotion when she saw the picture, and the caption that was beneath it: In Memory of Abigail Churchill, 1993-2009. Such a kind and fragile soul, gone far too soon. Not only that, but it pained her heart to see Michael in tears.

Michael said a silent prayer for the concerts to go well, and upbeat music proceeded to play. It was one of Shannon's favorite songs.

I Said You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'  
You Got To Be Startin' Somethin'  
I Said You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'  
You Got To Be Startin' Somethin'  
It's Too High To Get Over (Yeah, Yeah)  
Too Low To Get Under (Yeah, Yeah)  
You're Stuck In The Middle (Yeah, Yeah)  
And The Pain Is Thunder (Yeah, Yeah)  
It's Too High To Get Over (Yeah, Yeah)  
Too Low To Get Under (Yeah, Yeah)  
You're Stuck In The Middle (Yeah, Yeah)  
And The Pain Is Thunder (Yeah, Yeah)

People were singing along to all the words. A few fan girls fainted, and had to be carried out on stretchers. Lissie wasn't entirely sure why that happened, but she hoped they were all right. She turned her attention back to Michael. He hadn't lost his touch, when it came to singing and dancing. But she noticed that the routine was downgraded slightly, probably to protect his back. But that was okay. It was still difficult. And she thought he did a good job choosing the ensemble of talent. He performed all the fan favorites: Smooth Criminal, (which he had to go backstage in the dressing room to put on the costume for), the oh-so popular hit, Thriller, Black or White, Beat It, Bad, Earth Song, I Just Can't Stop Loving You, two of Lissie's favorites Speechless and They Don't Care About Us were among those. He even performed a Jackson 5 medley.

'Wow, Michael is going old school,' was Shannon's thought on that. So far, she was thoroughly enjoying the concert. She decided it was the best she had been to in her entire life. It was definitely worth waiting for. And she couldn't help laughing at the moments where Michael would play around. Then came the big moment. Lissie and Michael's kids walked upstage and went backstage, where there was a group of children, who also would be singing Heal the World. Blanket looked extremely scared, but just as his big sister promised, she was next to him. Lissie felt butterflies in her stomach, but mostly she was excited that she would be participating in this effort. Besides, it was another of her favorite songs. When the music for the song came on, though, she calmed down a bit, and even more when Michael started singing.

There's A Place In  
Your Heart  
And I Know That It Is Love  
And This Place Could  
Be Much  
Brighter Than Tomorrow  
And If You Really Try  
You'll Find There's No Need  
To Cry  
In This Place You'll Feel  
There's No Hurt Or Sorrow

Cuz There Are Ways  
To Get There  
If You Care Enough  
For The Living  
Make A Little Space  
Make A Better Place

Heal The World  
Make It A Better Place  
For You And For Me  
And The Entire Human Race  
There Are People Dying  
If You Care Enough  
For The Living  
Make A Better Place  
For You And For Me

After the third verse, when the chorus was being sung, Lissie and the Jackson kids joined in, along with the other children. They all came from backstage and joined in a circle, holding hands. Lissie took her time doing the part, and she didn't mess up like she feared she would. She looked in the audience, straight at Shannon, and she could see Shannon giving her the thumbs up sign, as if to say, “fantastic job.” That performance earned a standing ovation. Lissie was so proud of herself.

“Man in the Mirror” was the final song performance for that night. After that song ended, Michael shouted to his fans, “Good night everybody, I love you!” He was looking forward to the other 9 concerts and he hoped they would go just as well. He was surrounded by love, and felt he couldn't have asked for a better birthday present.


End file.
